Dyslexic Students’ Creative Suffering
By Christian Dejeu
Staff Writer
Recently, hearing Martin Luther King Jr.’s renowned words in his speech, I Have A Dream, his words, “I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. … You have been the veterans of creative suffering” (King), struck me hard and inspired duty, action, and perseverance. For you see, there is another story, that as a society we do not admit, of creative suffering that needs to be addressed, perhaps not as vast and fundamental as racial rights, but nonetheless, imperative. It is the story of one, of many, of too many, and it is my story and experience being “word blind”- or otherwise known as dyslexic, in a broken system and often-hopeless situations. My story is similar and familiar to other dyslexic students, one of harmful creative suffering brought on by the broken and willfully blinded school system.
What is dyslexia? Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability, which results in significant difficulties with language, particularly reading. Although the causes of dyslexia are not clearly understood, studies do find difference in the way the brain of a dyslexic person develops and functions. “Dyslexia is not due to either lack of intelligence or desire to learn… The impact that dyslexia has is different for each person and depends on the severity of the condition and the effectiveness of instruction or remediation…as many as 15-20% of the population have some of the symptoms of dyslexia” (IDA).
Mainstream school systems continue on with programs that are said proven to work for the students with dyslexia, however, in real world practice, fail the students with dyslexia, who are often shuffled through without much actual skill, success, and progress – systematically left illiterate and with narrow opportunities to achieve in our society. In actuality what works is time, time dedicated to the individual student learning, and the reality is it is costly for a school to provide the time and skilled dedication needed.
The creative suffering includes the diminishing of confidence and self-esteem, the focusing of peer’s ridicule, and the categorizing of less than. It is the assigning of a second-class student status, the sourcing of teacher frustration, and the filling of a work environment with materials and information that are out of reach. It is the dumbing down of information in order to trudge through the program, the disrespecting and disregarding of the actual intellectually capable, often highly capable thinking, and in essences the killing of a student’s well-being and academic potential.
Even after the significant Brown vs. Board of Education landmark education ruled, “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. . ." (Brown), students, with demonstrated average to above average intellect, are systematically pulled out of their classes and placed in special education programs that are not appropriate for efficient and effective progress – they are segregated and without the same opportunities as their peers’ programs. Yet the power lies with the schools, which falsely proclaim progress to avoid needed action and change. Further, there is our Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that clearly states people with disabilities cannot be discriminated against and segregated. Yet students with dyslexia are habitually discriminated against; reading materials are provided for eye readers with minimal access, if any, to audio/ear reading accessibility. Limited with their ability to access literacy materials for understanding and learning is similar to the situation of the blind. Indeed, those with severe dyslexia are categorized as word blind, yet do not have their needs served as the blind do. In sum, and unjustly so, literacy materials and educational information are provided and accessible for eye readers, with negligible access for those who benefit and need to read audibly, the ear readers.
Finally, there is the intent, mission, and trust of our public school system to provide a free and appropriate education for children. This is clearly not being met for most dyslexic students, many of whom unnecessarily and criminally are left illiterate and grossly uneducated. By continuing the current mainstream school system program, dyslexic students are being discriminated against with their futures critically limited and narrowed; now is the time for real awareness and change to provide the expected and needed education for the dyslexic students’ well-being and academic potential.
Firstly, our Call for Duty, the duty to both keep learning within reach and not dumb down material. Our actions must demonstrate that they respect student intelligence and potential within our literacy based learning system. Let the students be met where they are at and from that point build on learning realistically, practically, and effectively. Our teachers need to understand better, know better and do better in how to teach and enable appropriate and effective learning for the student with dyslexia. Most importantly, our teachers need to be effectively supported, provided the resources, knowledge, and time needed to achieve their work with their dyslexic students. Ultimately, the duty is real world understanding and practice for living in the real word, and what is required is awareness and mindful accommodations towards maximizing independence and opportunities.
Secondly, our Call for Action, action is needed to fix the failing broken system and stop tolerating the insanity and demonstrated lack of reason and results no more. Call it, as it is, a mainstream disingenuous system of pulling children though an inappropriate and harmful learning process in a fashion similar to a factory turning out dipped chocolates. Stop the abuse, the schools are supposed to know better and they need to do better. Mainstream schools need to be held to reality and their large destructive role in failing of the dyslexic’s learning and the destruction of human potential. The high illiteracy rate found in this country strongly illustrates that schools are being disingenuous in their credentialed professional work and reporting the progress being made with students with dyslexia. The all too frequent practice of blaming the students’ efforts as primary reason is a form of fraud. There is a brewing lack of confidence in the works and words of our mainstream school system; the time is now to act. Schools, do your job, you are to provide equal access and appropriate learning opportunities to all students; and not willfully disregard your duty to serve your student’s academic potential. An immediate understandable step is enforcing that all schools provide for “ear readers” as equally as they provide to “eye readers.” The schools need to provide speech-to-text and text-to-voice accessibility to all students, so all information and material is equally accessible and meaningfully effective to average to above average learners. Ultimately, the call for action is to stop the systematic discrimination against students with dyslexia and provide meaningful literacy accessibility and real learning access.
Thirdly, our Call for Perseverance, this is not the time to give up on the critical task of providing a meaningful education; education and meaningful experience is power. Now is the time to be strong and stay strong; aware and mindful people must speak to the fraud and injustice of not providing an education to the countless masses of people with dyslexia. Dyslexics must not be victimized; dyslexics need to have the grit to not take the role of the victim. Rather, empowering students, their families, and engaged members in the school systems can, will, and must bring end to the discrimination and systematic, willful harm to the dyslexic student. It is the crucial time to keep the hope and demand awareness and action to the truth and the true potential to those who learn and read differently, often through audible reading and writing. The discontent of the knowing must speak and act out for the rights and protection of student potential and create a zero tolerance to the misguided treatment and marginalization of this student body in our nation. Ultimately, the call for perseverance is recognizing this is the right time and the right place in history to make real change and betterment for the one, the many, the too many.
Stop the creative suffering; it is the dyslexic students’ call for duty, call for action, and call for perseverance. We the people of this highly advanced society need to take action to support and ensure students with dyslexia are not being discriminated against and suffering the broad effects of being denied an education. The systematically failing mainstream school system is working against the academic and well-being potential of students with dyslexia. In the highly proclaimed book, The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain, Brock & Fernette Eide insightfully state, “each individual with dyslexia is unique and faces specific challenges while, at the same time possesses remarkable talent and ability” (Eide & Eide). This talent and ability requires the power of an appropriate and effective education, an education that must not be denied to them. Yet, by continuing the current mainstream school system program, dyslexic students are being discriminated against with their futures critically limited and narrowed. Now is the time for real awareness and change to provide the expected and needed education for the dyslexic students’ well-being and academic potential. We stand together and challenge everyone to do more with actions that clearly demonstrate needed and real change to enable and support the student with dyslexia in reaching their well-being and life potential. We stand together and challenge everyone to have zero tolerance in the victimizing of students with dyslexia in our current school systems. We stand together and challenge the hypocrisy of providing education in a discriminating and marginalizing program to students with dyslexia. Finally, we stand together and challenge with hope that every student with dyslexia, in this highly advanced society, may achieve and earn their rightful life’s worth- painless, blameless, and with broad opportunities and self-respect.
Ask yourself, “Are you part of the creative suffering or taking the call for duty, call for action, and call for perseverance?”
Works Cited:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act. www.ada.gov. Web. 20 February 2015.
Brown v. Board of Education. Ruling. United States Courts. 14 May 1954. www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/get-involved/federal-court-activities/brown-board-education-re-enactment/history.aspx. Web. 20 February 2015.
Eide, Brock L. & Fernette F. Eide. The Dyslexic Advantage Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain. New York: Hudson Street Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2011.
International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Just the Facts…Dyslexia Basics. www.interdys.org. Web. 26 January 2015.
King, Martin Luther, Jr. “I Have a Dream.” Speech. Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C., 28 August 1963. American Rhetoric Top 100 Speeches. www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream. Web. 20 February 2015.