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I AM AN INVISIBLE DYSLEXIC – Sharon Roberts

While organising some things recently, I found some old report cards. They provided a sad tale of a student who showed promise and who was eventually categorised as being average, later attending summer school for High School maths and science in order to move forward.

I describe myself as promising because I was an accelerated student; meaning I took Grade 3 and 4 together. I don’t recall any specific testing, but somehow at a young age I demonstrated some above average abilities and was therefore pushed forward… therefore I was smart… right ? That was the argument I gave myself throughout my academic life when the report cards indicated otherwise. I was described as average, not working to my full potential and inattentive.

In my mind, I did try. Doing well was important to me. I managed to get into University, but encountered similar problems, especially with one History professor who point blank said he was disappointed and expected more from me. I avoided courses that focused on multiple choice exams because I just couldn’t do them. I managed to scrape through my LSATS (Law entrance exams – 3hrs of reading and multiple choice questions) despite clocking out after one hour. Needless to say, I didn’t pursue a career in law!

Fast forward 25 years when my son had completed a Davis Dyslexia Correction program and I was about to embark on my training to become a Davis Dyslexia Correction Facilitator. In training we are provided with the same tools as a regular program would provide. I suspected I had dyslexia but still kept quiet. The quiet whisper in my ear became a roar when I pursued training in nutritional counselling several years later. It consisted of independent study, all exams were multiple choice online and 80% was the pass mark. Thanks to my Davis tools I got 90’s except for Anatomy in the 80’s.

Imagine what I may have been able to achieve academically if I had been introduced to these tools in my early years! Sometimes the symptoms of dyslexia are obvious, sometimes not. Those I refer to as ‘the invisible ones’ get by, are able to read and write, get average grades and float along under the radar. They could have done so much better IF (tried) no…. IF they had been taught the way they learn. You might think that early intervention is the answer… lets find the potential dyslexics and give them more of what they find difficult already. That is not our solution. What if the classroom teacher could teach the basics of literacy to the whole class in a way that worked for the whole class. Davis Learning Strategies do just that… they provide a safe environment for all children, including the obvious and the invisible dyslexics. They are the key to NeuroInclusivity in school, the end of so-called learning disability labels and the answer to achieving a student’s full potential. Children like me would no longer be seen as lazy, unmotivated and inattentive… happy children, happy parents, happy teachers. www.davislearn.org and www.thewds.org/prevention.