Advocating for change for dyslexic children like our Son Payne has become a family mission. Most of the time when we go to an event or to meet with different people, we meet as a family. I think sometimes people are surprised when Neil, Payne, Kaitlin and I all come filing through the door. Although only Payne is dyslexic, we are all affected by the way he is mistreated and suffers due the misunderstanding there is with dyslexia because we get to see the fallout. Though as a mom, it’s infuriating to watch when he comes across a person in the public school system that doesn’t understand his dyslexia and mistreats him due to their lack of understanding or compassion, we have not allowed him to sit idle and feel like a victim. He stands up and advocates for himself. Neil and I know when there is a problem emerging because he will start sharing it with us a little at a time, we will give our advice if he asks for it and probably sometimes when he doesn’t, he works on it until he feels he has hit the wall with progress and then tags us in to try to help.
Payne is so used to advocating for himself that he has developed a great empathy and now advocates for others as well. I remember about five years ago, he was watching a situation in the school locker room, wherein an autistic classmate who always had trouble with his combination lock had caught the attention of the substitute gym teacher. When the gym teacher started asking the student questions, the answers sounded sarcastic to the teacher because unfortunately for everyone, he obviously had not been told about student needs. Payne tried to diffuse the situation, but by then the teacher was very frustrated and thought Payne was being a smart aleck too. The student’s aid always waited for him outside the locker room doors so Payne ran and got her. She later thanked him and told him that she had educated the substitute teacher. That’s the kind of kid Payne is.
Kaitlin is also used to advocating for other people. Since she has had to watch and understands what Payne has had to go through, she doesn’t let people slide on their behavior. If a classmate has trouble reading aloud in class, she seems to gravitate toward and almost shield them. If they are reading in small groups and have to read aloud, she has taken it upon herself to read the sections of her classmates with reading issues to save them from embarrassment. When she hears one student harassing another about their reading ability, because you can’t hide reading issues when you have to read aloud in front of the whole class, she speaks out and lets them know that it’s not ok to make fun of someone that has trouble reading and asks them if they know what dyslexia is. Kaitlin has also brought up dyslexia to her teachers when situations allow it. That’s the kind of kid Kaitlin is.
Needless to say, I am very proud of my family for pulling together on this issue instead of letting it drive a wedge between us.
*Below are pictures of some of the events and opportunities we have worked together on:
Payne is so used to advocating for himself that he has developed a great empathy and now advocates for others as well. I remember about five years ago, he was watching a situation in the school locker room, wherein an autistic classmate who always had trouble with his combination lock had caught the attention of the substitute gym teacher. When the gym teacher started asking the student questions, the answers sounded sarcastic to the teacher because unfortunately for everyone, he obviously had not been told about student needs. Payne tried to diffuse the situation, but by then the teacher was very frustrated and thought Payne was being a smart aleck too. The student’s aid always waited for him outside the locker room doors so Payne ran and got her. She later thanked him and told him that she had educated the substitute teacher. That’s the kind of kid Payne is.
Kaitlin is also used to advocating for other people. Since she has had to watch and understands what Payne has had to go through, she doesn’t let people slide on their behavior. If a classmate has trouble reading aloud in class, she seems to gravitate toward and almost shield them. If they are reading in small groups and have to read aloud, she has taken it upon herself to read the sections of her classmates with reading issues to save them from embarrassment. When she hears one student harassing another about their reading ability, because you can’t hide reading issues when you have to read aloud in front of the whole class, she speaks out and lets them know that it’s not ok to make fun of someone that has trouble reading and asks them if they know what dyslexia is. Kaitlin has also brought up dyslexia to her teachers when situations allow it. That’s the kind of kid Kaitlin is.
Needless to say, I am very proud of my family for pulling together on this issue instead of letting it drive a wedge between us.
*Below are pictures of some of the events and opportunities we have worked together on: