Dyslexia runs in my family. My father has it, two of my brothers have it, and three of my children have it. I discovered that Arnaud, my oldest, was dyslexic when he was in elementary school. We were at dinner one evening, and he read a wine bottle label backwards. For him, that marked the beginning of a long journey of lost confidence in himself. Despite two sessions a week with a speech-language pathologist, his spelling remained catastrophic. He would spend hours on homework, and then at tests, every grade he received was halved because of errors. Every week I was called in by his teacher, who clearly understood nothing about dyslexia.
After elementary school, Arnaud clung to lampposts rather than go to school. In middle school, he had to repeat a year. That convinced him he was worthless. In high school, I thought we might finally turn a corner. I had been told that dyslexic children have a particular gift for visualizing objects in three dimensions. So I encouraged Arnaud to enroll in a technical engineering track. A week into these classes, I was in despair. He didn't have that talent.
My husband couldn't make sense of this son because of his constant academic failure. I was always the one having to explain his learning delays by saying he was dyslexic.
I watched for every article about dyslexia. I looked for other families going through it, attended conferences, visited support organizations. I, who thought I knew everything—who believed it was just a reading problem—finally understood what my son, my father, and my brothers were living through. I discovered their suffering. And above all, I understood why their vocabularies were so limited, and how that poverty of language kept their thoughts from developing.
When I learned that two more of my children, Stanislas and Aymeric, were also dyslexic, I wanted both to get help as early as possible—and I wanted to throw up my hands in surrender.
I had fought so hard with my oldest. And the results had been so poor.
With such a large family, I struggled to get them to a speech-language pathologist. Someone suggested a method I could teach at home. Twenty minutes of exercises each evening with Stanislas for five years. Then his spelling only got worse. Now we'd have to start from scratch. It's heartbreaking. With Aymeric, nothing worked. Along with dyslexia, he had other related problems: hyperactivity, an inability to concentrate. How could I force him to do exercises on top of his homework? I had to constantly invent games so the fun aspect would make him forget the effort. Before he started elementary school, I asked the headmaster to use a syllabic reading method, since other methods only amplify dyslexia. At the start of school, a new teacher arrived who used an almost whole-word approach. Within months, things were so bad that I withdrew Aymeric and enrolled him—like Stanislas—in a Montessori school, where they use the pure syllabic method. What's more, there were parents who volunteered to listen to the children read; that helped them tremendously. You have to be very strong to face dyslexia. Today, I'm only just beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel with my oldest, who has finally found his path. What a relief for a mother!
Solange Franc, 2009
(Ombres et Lumière n. 168)
AID Associazione Italiana Dislessia
Works to combat developmental dyslexia in Italy, cooperating with institutions and services involved in child development and education. The association aims to raise awareness among professionals, educators, and the general public about developmental dyslexia. It promotes research and training across different fields: health services, rehabilitation, and schools. It provides users with a reliable, qualified point of reference for information and help, including consultation and support for identifying the problem and planning rehabilitation and educational approaches. The association has branches in all major Italian cities.
Associazione Italiana Dislessia
Piazza dei Martiri, 1/2 40121 Bologna Tel. 051242919 Fax 0516393194 http://www.dislessia.org
AED Associazione Europea Disgrafie
Focuses primarily on difficulties with writing and is the first to offer a wide range of professional expertise within its membership, bringing together teachers and parents. It is the first association with a European scope. It operates across Italy and Europe and works with schools and institutions. It aims to help people understand what dysgraphia is and how to recognize it, to train educators, to propose targeted intervention when necessary, and to provide support and guidance to those seeking information or treatment. It views each child and young person as a "person" and not merely a "writing problem," offering recovery of graphomotor skills in a simple and enjoyable way.
Associazione Europea Disgrafie
Via Cimarra, 54 Roma 00184 http://www.disgrafie.eu info@disgrafie.eu
Tel. 339 5353708
