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Dyslexia. Is it a Gift or a Struggle?

Students with learning disabilities often despair over their struggles, but a positive attitude and new perspective can make all the difference.

Last updated · 4 min read
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Students with learning disabilities constantly have to deal with the pressures and struggles of school, and it may be hard for them to see the light at the end of the tunnel. How can we help our children and students cope when they often feel despair?

Calling it a gift when all they can see is struggle can send them down the wrong path.

The struggle is real.

As a mom and a teacher of children with special needs, I often struggle just as much as my students do when it comes to seeing the bigger picture. Students with learning disabilities see their individual day-to-day struggles — the struggle to learn, to keep on top of tasks, and to combat discrimination. 

From conversations with my son and my students, they feel inferior. They call themselves stupid and want the differences to disappear. These students are fully aware that they have to learn differently and accomplish tasks from a different angle, and that often makes them feel discouraged or ostracized from their peers. They just don’t see that there will ever be an end to their school struggles.

But what many students and their parents don’t see is that there could actually be a silver lining in their learning disability.

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A positive view of a learning disability can make all the difference when a student struggles.

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My personal story.

To understand, here’s a story of my son’s first week of junior high. He came home very sad and depressed, and when I asked what was wrong, he told me about a group of boys in gym class making fun of him.
These bullies knew he went to a resource room for math and language arts, and they made fun of his intelligence because of that. The thing is, his learning disability does not affect his intelligence at all — it simply affects his ability to learn in the same way as his peers. That means he needs accommodations and a smaller setting in the resource room to reach his full potential.
But like many junior high kids, these bullies wanted to find children that are even the slightest bit different to pick on. In this case, they called my son all sorts of terrible names, specifically insulting his intelligence. When my son told me what happened, he just looked at me and said, “Mom, why can’t they make fun of me because of my glasses, or the color of my tennis shoes…something like that, because then I could change it. I could take those off. I could change the style or color. I could fit in more. But I can’t get rid of my learning disability, and that I need to go to separate classes.”

The best way to overcome any roadblock is to incorporate these situations positively into our lives, learn from the experience, and become stronger.

Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert

Don't let the challenges defeat you!

It’s tough to hear that kind of story from any child, and it’s not uncommon. But there is one thing that helps my son and me get through it, and perhaps it will help you and your child too.
When any of us face a hardship — whether a learning disability, a physical diagnosis like cancer or diabetes, or even economic problems — we are always advised to strive to overcome those situations, no matter our age or experience. The best way to overcome any roadblock is to incorporate these situations positively into our lives, learn from the experience, and become stronger. We can’t allow ourselves to be defeated by the challenges we face, even when they seem impossible or long-term.
When it comes to learning disabilities, it can be extremely hard to step back look at the bigger picture, especially for a child who thinks life might be a little harder from here on out. But there are those of us who instead see dyslexia or ADHD, or even situations like Down Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy, as positive, life-enriching experiences for everyone involved.

Key takeaways

  1. Don't focus on the challenges!
  2. Embrace the positives!
  3. Celebrate YOU and your uniqueness!

In those moments of struggle, and those moments of hardship, when you feel you’ve already done all you can to help — step back, and look at this child as a gift. Don’t just look at the child’s disability, see the whole child! See them for who they are, and not just what they’re going through.

For my son, even when things get rough like they did on his first week of junior high, we try to take his mind and eyes off the struggle. We recognize that no matter what our difficulties are — and we do all have different kinds of difficulties — we are all unique, and special, and wonderful. Most importantly, we can all contribute to our society positively. Being able to recognize that is the true silver lining.

Positivity and perseverance are built up by small successes. Each small success gives a person more drive to keep going, slowly building up to bigger and bigger successes. The Learning Success System is designed to create small successes that become larger successes. If you’re interested in doing this for your child, get the Learning Success System now!

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A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.

· Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.

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