| All throughout my life I have suffered from dyslexia. | | | | I tape recorded the lectures, reviewed them every |
| Dyslexia is a disability dealing with how a person sees | | | | night and had multiple people proof read my papers for |
| letters. It affects their ability to read and spell but is has | | | | errors. The knowledge that I gained was immense, but |
| nothing to do with their level of intelligence. Dyslexia | | | | the difficulty of putting that knowledge on paper was a |
| occurs at all levels of intelligence: highly gifted, above | | | | struggle. |
| average, average, sub-average. Experts agree that | | | | At one point during my schooling we were working |
| this disability is caused by a neurological wiring | | | | with Nursing Home patients. The nursing supervisor |
| difference. But all too often, society sees it as | | | | assigned me the toughest patient with the most |
| sub-average intelligence. | | | | problems. It wasn't just my imagination either, because |
| Most dyslexics can learn to compensate with specially | | | | when I succeeded, she was surprised and admitted |
| trained professionals helping them. That was not the | | | | that she had set me up to fail. She didn't think I could |
| case for me. Forty-seven years ago when I was in | | | | operate successfully in a nurse's capacity with |
| Elementary School, my disability was classified on the | | | | Dyslexia. She was impressed, but not convinced and |
| same level as mental retardation and I was placed in | | | | the negativity continued. |
| the special education class. | | | | I finished three semesters with a 3.5gpa, but the ever |
| Even as a child, those around me treated me different. | | | | present, ongoing, negativity of the nursing department |
| My life was a world of negativity. In school, if I got a | | | | as well as the counselor drove me to quit college. It |
| good grade on an assignment or test, I was accused | | | | was hard enough to constantly compensate for my |
| of cheating or coping others work. I was treated as if | | | | disability let alone continually trying to convince my |
| my intelligence was lacking, but I didn't feel I was any | | | | supervisors that I was capable of the work. It was |
| different than my peers. | | | | easier to just give up. |
| It wasn't until High School that I was actually diagnosed | | | | Over the years, I stopped believing in myself. Then |
| with Dyslexia but by that time I had lost so many | | | | three months ago, my brother and sister in-law |
| opportunities to learn. Plus, even with the diagnosis, I | | | | introduced me to a do-it-yourself website building |
| was still treated as if it was an intellectual problem and | | | | company. They explained how the process worked |
| no proper help was given. I had learned to | | | | and they helped guide me through the steps. They |
| compensate on my own but my English grades had | | | | shared their own site building knowledge and skills, |
| suffered greatly through the years. | | | | which helped me, unlock my own site building creative |
| As I grew older, I worked hard to rise above this | | | | potential. |
| disability but every time I wanted to try something new | | | | Now, three months later, my site is in the top one |
| I would receive a negative response from those | | | | percent of all websites in the world. I have carefully |
| around me. Most of my life has been filled will failures | | | | followed all of the instruction that the website program |
| brought on by self-doubt which was influenced by the | | | | offers and I'm no longer surrounded by pessimistic |
| negativity of others and my own insecurities. | | | | people that only see me as a failure, lacking in |
| Here is one example, I decided to go to college and | | | | intelligence. Instead, I'm around positive people who |
| get a nursing degree. In the application process the | | | | believe in me. I still need someone to proof read my |
| counselor reviewed my high school records and | | | | work for errors associated with my dyslexia. Spell |
| discovered my disability, she informed me that she only | | | | check is amazing but not entirely reliable as most of |
| saw failure in my future as a nurse due to the | | | | you already know. |
| possibility of reversing numbers on important | | | | If you have Dyslexia, don't let other people's ignorance |
| medications and harming a patient. I convinced her that | | | | hold you back from succeeding. |
| I didn't have a problem with reversing numbers and to | | | | I truly believe that with the right amount of |
| let me try one semester of school. She agreed, | | | | determination and a little help anyone with Dyslexia can |
| reluctantly, to the one semester trial. | | | | succeed in life. |