November 3, 2016

Dear Future President,

I am writing you today because of the unfair way people with Dyslexia are treated and tested needs to change because dyslexics learn differently. They need more time to read. Some teachers are constantly bringing kids down but kids take what teachers say very seriously. I suffer from dyslexia, since I was born. I am constantly suffering from dyslexia in my everyday life. Dyslexia is a general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but dyslexia does not affect general intelligence. People that have dyslexia have a constant struggle with reading everyday things It takes people with dyslexia a little longer to read. At a young age I heard some of my own teachers, say hurtful and mean things, such as “You won’t get far in life”, “you’re so stupid”, “you’re too slow”, “you can’t even read, are you sure you’re human”, “you’re lazy”. Teachers should understand and realize what they say matters and they need to understand and learn how to help students with dyslexia. Up to 15-20% of the world has dyslexia... even teachers.

Dyslexics have trouble reading, most have a different way of learning. Teachers main objective is that we learn and grow as a person,to meet deadlines, to show up, and to care. I myself and many others have a huge problem with reading, it takes me at least one hour to do a five-minute assignment, due to having a difficulty reading. Each and every single one of the people with dyslexia has a different way of learning. The way they learn is never the same. There should be a program that helps each every single person, helping them to find a way to make it easier to learn. These are some of the things dyslexics have difficulty with to memorize, spell, think, and understand. While some think it's a disability it is actually an obstacle. Some people without dyslexia see teachers like this ¨teachers¨, others with dyslexia might see it like this ¨t3h4n3r5¨.

Some teachers are constantly bringing kids down, but kids take what teachers say very serious. Some teachers don’t truly know or understand what dyslexia is. Albert Einstein even said,  “My teachers said I was mentally slow, unsociable, and had foolish dreams.” I’ve heard my teachers call me mean names due to having dyslexia. Those words and phrases still haunt me, 12 years later. It’s not each and every single teacher, but I believe that each and every single teacher should understand the problems some students face, and they should watch what they say because words impact each student very deeply. I believe that there needs to be a program that teachers have to go to, to learn about students with dyslexia. Often teachers mix laziness and slowness with dyslexia, majority of kids with dyslexia state that teachers call them lazy or that those students just don’t care. And that’s not the case for most of them. I myself take longer with certain things, and I know other people with dyslexia do too.

If we want kids with dyslexia to get the help they need, to learn and grow as a person,to meet deadlines, to show up, to care, and to not give up at such an early age. We should create a safe and well-being program, to help kids and students that suffer from dyslexia and to have a safe place to go when having troubling times, to help them find an easier way to help them learn, to find something that interest them and to improve their learning skills. Also, a program that teachers have to take on how to help and teach individuals with dyslexia. And to understand where they are coming from. Why, doesn’t this sound like a good idea?. There is about 15-20% of our country that has dyslexia, 1 in every 5 people have it. Isn’t school to help us prepare for the future? Well, people with dyslexia are being left in the dark. Some might say “Well they need to be able to help themselves”. Here’s the thing it will most likely take up to 5 years for them to find a better way to learn. It took myself 7+ years to find a better and easier way to learn. Teachers still don’t understand what students with dyslexia need. I studied and researched, every little thing about dyslexia, but no one is a true expert on this topic because VERY LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE. People with dyslexia are still being tested the same; when I and people with dyslexia learn completely different. I am still getting judged for having dyslexia, not only by  students, but also by teachers and now the state. In the 3rd grade, I was judged and made fun of, by teachers because I have trouble reading and it takes me a little longer to do my work. From that day, forward I stopped telling teachers; I made it classified. I decided to deal with dyslexia all by myself. One assignment that takes everyone 5mins it takes me 1 hour, used to take me 3 hours. It wasn’t until this year, my 11th-grade year, that I started telling my teachers. I have only told two of my teachers, even though I am still judged.

 I am putting my best foot forward. I’m tired of waiting, so many people with dyslexia are not getting the help that they need and they are getting treated poorly, from their own teachers. It has been at least 10 years later, and the negative and poor things I have heard teachers say about me, still haunts me every single day. They said I won’t get anywhere, with dyslexia. I believed them for so many years. Until now, it took me 10+ years to realize that I will get far in life, I don’t want any other children to go through, what I went through. Future President, please be sure to mandate all teachers to learn and understand dyslexia and to start a program to help those individuals that have dyslexia. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Someone that matters and wants to be heard,

Lillian

Works Cited

"Frequently Asked Questions." Dyslexia Help at the University of Michigan. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.

Staff, By Mayo Clinic. "Dyslexia." Symptoms. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.