We marvel at what a terrific, engaging and confident person our son has become thanks to the support of ASDEC.
THE FIRST SIGNS
Evidence of the difficulty he had with written language continued during his first years of school, but we were told he would “grow out of it.” We first had him tested in kindergarten, but the testers were not specialists in language-based disabilities so he was misdiagnosed in those first few years. One psychologist told us Daniel had an attention deficit disorder (ADD), but we were not convinced and did not want to put him on medication. Some of his teachers thought he just needed to work harder. They put him in a specialized reading group for slow learners in first grade. Furthermore, they discouraged us from getting him a formal Individual Education Plan (IEP) and diagnosis because he was “already getting services.”
In middle school, Daniel started using Kurzweil, a computer-based educational program that enabled him to have written material “read” to him through an audio program, while he followed along with the printed version. While doing his work with the computer, Daniel looked like any other modern student – hands on the keyboard, eyes on the screen, and earphones in his ears. In fact, he became a Kurzweil wiz kid. With the ASDEC, middle school, and technology support, Daniel began to excel, and knowing that he was dyslexic, not a “slow learner,” boosted his self-confidence. One time, he was paired with one of the most popular girls in class for a team assignment. He openly explained, “I am dyslexic, so I may not always read the word correctly.” He had really come around in both self-knowledge and self-confidence.