The following is a story about one of my daughters.  Early on I knew something wasn’t right. But every time I would worry about a specific milestone she would complete that task.    We always called her our “book baby”  – she was never early on any milestones but not really behind either, seemed to be right on target.

I did little developmental screenings on her frequently, and she always turned out fine and on target.  Once she started talking she did seem to have some articulation errors so I had her evaluated.  Again, she didn’t really qualify for speech therapy but did produce some errors in her language.  She did not improve so I had her evaluated again and this time she did qualify (but barely).  We started speech therapy at age 3 and she finished therapy during her Kindergarten year.

From 1^st through 2^nd grade she kept up with the class in reading and the teacher had no concerns.  Her daddy and I sat down with her third grade teacher and asked her if she had concerns.  Again, the teacher had no concerns.  We knew that our daughter was sweet and quiet and probably never caused a problem but we wanted to make sure that she was learning on pace.

During her 4th grade year we seemed to notice more concerns.  I will never forget the cool March morning when my husband and I scheduled a meeting with the teachers of all of her subjects.  The problems with schoolwork were growing and it was time to get answers and figure out the problem.

During the meeting the teachers said wonderful things about our daughter.  I remember looking at my husband and asking the teachers, Is she learning? Is something wrong with her learning?”  A couple of the teachers said they thought she would be fine, but another teacher that had been teaching for some time thought something wasn’t right.  We knew we needed to take the next step to get professional help.

After so many discussions and many prayers, we decided to have the testing done outside the school system.  We told our daughter that she was going to complete some tests that would allow us to understand her learning better.  She went through two days of different assessments. I remember praying that we would clearly understand her brain and the way it works.  We waited…and waited…and waited… until finally we received the call for our appointment to discuss the results.

I will NEVER forget sitting in her office and reading over the report learning that our daughter has Dyslexia…not only dyslexia but Global Dyslexia.  She hears things wrong, sees things wrong, and has a hard time writing, and communicating.  At first, I couldn’t believe it but as we went through the report it made perfect sense.  Really….it was amazing that she was doing so well in school and made it to 4th grade.  We discussed her brain and how it processes information but we also discussed a plan of action!

We sat our daughter down at home and we told her all the wonderful things that were reported and then my husband said “you also have dyslexia.” We explained it to the best of our ability; she looked at us and smiled but not saying much.  I told her that we have a beautiful plan to get her help.  I explained to her that it’s not a mistake that she was created with dyslexia, it’s part of God’s plan, and she will grow up to be exceptional!  I read Psalm 139 “If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me and your strength will support me.”  My husband explained to her that God will support her and provide her with strength but she will need to, in faith, depend on Him.

This is our daughters’ story and it will be used for God’s glory.  I can’t imagine what she will grow up to be and the lives she will touch.  I’m thankful that we get to be part of her journey!

~A mother’s story

I love this picture…it’s a great reminder that we can’t fit everyone into the same box.  Everyone learns different but did you know that 1 in 5 children have dyslexia.  There are many ways to help with this learning disability.   If you would like further information on dyslexia or if you need support with one of your children who has difficulty learning, please contact Building All Children.