I Have Dyslexia

Most kids are taught to read with a method called phonics. They first learn to connect sounds in spoken language to written letters. Then they learn to blend those sounds together into words. Eventually this process becomes automatic, allowing readers to quickly sound out new words.

Kids with dyslexia have trouble with phonics, because their brains struggle to connect letters to sounds. Sounding out words doesn’t become automatic. The act of reading is so tiring for people with dyslexia that it’s hard for them to understand or remember what they’ve read.

In addition to reading and writing, dyslexia can affect speaking, spelling, memorization, and learning math and foreign languages. It’s a lifelong condition, but with instruction from specially trained teachers, kids with dyslexia can develop strategies that allow them to learn and read successfully.

Most kids learn to read with a method called phonics. They’re taught to connect sounds in spoken language to written letters. Then they learn to blend those sounds together into words. Eventually, this happens without kids thinking about it. That allows readers to quickly sound out new words.

Kids with dyslexia have trouble with phonics, because their brains struggle to connect letters to sounds. Sounding out words doesn’t become automatic. The act of reading is so tiring for people with dyslexia that it’s hard for them to understand or remember what they’ve read.

In addition to reading and writing, dyslexia can affect speaking, spelling, memorization, and learning math and foreign languages. It’s a lifelong condition, but with instruction from specially trained teachers, kids with dyslexia can develop strategies that allow them to learn and read successfully.

Once Kenzie was diagnosed, she started working with a tutor. Eventually, she transferred to a school for students with dyslexia in her hometown of Atlanta. “Before going to that school, I was a little bit embarrassed to have a tutor,” says Kenzie. “But at the specialized school, there wasn’t any stigma.”

Kenzie got to meet other kids who learned in the same way that she did. Many of her teachers had dyslexia themselves. “Seeing an adult who was smart and successful who had the same condition as me was really cool,” says Kenzie. “I started to think of myself as someone who could be good at school.”

Today, Kenzie goes to a mainstream high school. Her primary accommodation is getting extra time on assignments and exams. “Something that would take my classmate an hour and a half to finish might take me three hours,” she says. She also takes tests in a smaller room with fewer distractions and is always allowed to use a calculator, as dyslexia makes it hard for her to do math in her head.

Kenzie worked with a tutor after she learned she had dyslexia. Eventually, she moved to a new school. It was for students with dyslexia in her hometown of Atlanta. “Before going to that school, I was a little bit embarrassed to have a tutor,” says Kenzie. “But at the specialized school, there wasn’t any stigma.”

Kenzie met other kids who learned in the same way she did. Many of her teachers also had dyslexia. “Seeing an adult who was smart and successful who had the same condition as me was really cool,” says Kenzie. “I started to think of myself as someone who could be good at school.”

Today, Kenzie goes to a mainstream high school. Her primary accommodation is getting extra time on classwork and exams. “Something that would take my classmate an hour and a half to finish might take me three hours,” she says. She also takes tests in a smaller room. That provides fewer distractions. And she’s always allowed to use a calculator. That’s because dyslexia makes it hard for her to do math in her head.

Kenzie and her parents have long relied on the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) for resources on living with dyslexia. The IDA hosts conferences and workshops, and advocates to support people with dyslexia at the local and federal level.

In 10th grade, Kenzie joined the teen board of the IDA’s Georgia chapter. “We volunteer and help organize IDA events,” says Kenzie. “Last year, I got to reach out to authors and artists with dyslexia to showcase their work at a fundraiser.” A highlight for Kenzie was speaking to Dav Pilkey, known for the Captain Underpants and Dog Man series. “I used to read those books, but I had no idea he was dyslexic,” she adds.

During her junior year, Kenzie became an IDA project captain and had the chance to design her own initiative. This coincided with the beginning of her college search. While researching schools, Kenzie noticed that there weren’t many resources to help students with dyslexia make the transition. Unlike in high school, when students’ accommodations are typically guided by individualized education plans put in place by their parents or teachers, college students have to request this help themselves.

“I figured it would be really cool if I could talk to people from colleges’ disability services centers,” says Kenzie. She started recording and editing video interviews to post on the IDA’s website. Her webinars cover topics like when in the application process students should disclose that they have dyslexia, how to register with offices of disability services, and the kinds of tutoring available at different schools.

Now Kenzie is working on building her own site, LD College Bridge. It will house the video interviews alongside blog posts by current college students with dyslexia about how they’ve learned to navigate accommodations on their campuses. She hopes that this is just the beginning. “Once I’m in college, I’ll be able to write from my own experiences,” she adds.

Kenzie and her parents have long relied on the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). It creates resources on living with dyslexia. The IDA hosts conferences and workshops. It also works to get people with dyslexia support at the local and federal level.

Kenzie joined the teen board of the IDA’s Georgia chapter in 10th grade. “We volunteer and help organize IDA events,” says Kenzie. “Last year, I got to reach out to authors and artists with dyslexia to showcase their work at a fundraiser.” A highlight for Kenzie was speaking to Dav Pilkey. He’s the author who wrote the Captain Underpants and Dog Man series. “I used to read those books,” says Kenzie. “But I had no idea he was dyslexic.”

Kenzie became an IDA project captain during her junior year. She was also researching colleges to attend. Kenzie noticed that there weren’t many resources to help students with dyslexia as they entered college. Students can get accommodations in high school. They’re usually guided by individualized education plans. They’re put in place by parents or teachers. But college students must request this help themselves.

“I figured it would be really cool if I could talk to people from colleges’ disability services centers,” says Kenzie. She started recording and editing video interviews. They were posted on the IDA’s website. Her videos cover topics for students entering college. They include when in the application process to explain they have dyslexia. The videos also covered how to register with offices of disability services. And they discussed the kinds of tutoring available at different schools.

Now Kenzie is working on building her own site. It’s called LD College Bridge. It will house her video interviews. There are also blog posts by current college students with dyslexia. They share their experience finding accommodations on their campuses. Kenzie hopes this is just the start. “Once I’m in college, I’ll be able to write from my own experiences,” she adds.

In addition to her advocacy work, Kenzie loves art. Like many people with dyslexia, she excels at visual expression. “It feels more natural to communicate without using words,” she says. Kenzie is also hard at work preparing for college, where she plans to study public policy.

Looking back on her relationship to school as a young kid, Kenzie feels grateful for her family and teachers who trusted that she could not just keep up but shine. “There’s a misconception that people with dyslexia have a lower intellectual capacity,” says Kenzie. “Just because someone’s brain works differently doesn’t mean it can do less than yours.

Kenzie loves art along with helping others with dyslexia. Many people with dyslexia excel at expressing themselves visually. And Kenzie does too. “It feels more natural to communicate without using words,” she says. Kenzie is also hard at work preparing for college. She plans to study public policy.

Kenzie has thought about struggling at school as a young kid. She’s grateful for her family and teachers. They trusted she could not just keep up but shine. “There’s a misconception that people with dyslexia have a lower intellectual capacity,” says Kenzie. “Just because someone’s brain works differently doesn’t mean it can do less than yours.”