S4E8: Dyslexia and Education - A Personal Journey

In this episode of Word Blindness, Dyslexia Exposed, hosts Juliet Hahn and Brent Sopel discuss their personal experiences with dyslexia and the education system. They emphasize the importance of repetition in learning, share stories of their children's struggles, and highlight the challenges faced by dyslexic students in navigating school accommodations. The conversation also touches on the debate surrounding foreign language requirements for dyslexic students and the need for better alternatives in education. The episode concludes with a call to action for parents and educators to advocate for change.

 

Chapters

 

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Journey

02:54 The Importance of Repetition in Learning

05:43 Personal Stories of Struggles with Dyslexia

08:25 Understanding the Impact of Early Trauma

11:13 Navigating the Education System

14:09 The Challenges of Accommodations in School

17:04 The Debate on Foreign Language Requirements

19:47 The Need for Better Alternatives in Education

22:47 The Personal Impact of Educational Policies

25:39 Concluding Thoughts and Call to Action

 

Transcript:

00:00:07:00 - 00:00:37:03

Unknown

Welcome back to word blindness. Just like the exposed. I am here with my co-host, Brant Sobel. Good morning. Wow. We got a good morning there. Really? Yeah, it was really nice over here, so I'm happy for now. But newly married and we are 110 episodes and we are recording at the end of October. This is going to be going out obviously in November, but it's just proves the justice system is terrible.

 

00:00:37:05 - 00:00:56:16

Unknown

I filed a restraining on you how many years ago? And we're still running. I'm just kidding. And that was actually the one of those clips that we did for the hundredth episode. People were dying laughing at that because I was like, I never even thought about how that right? I totally seemed like a stalker. But 110 episodes in and the stalking worked.

 

00:00:56:18 - 00:01:22:10

Unknown

Because we get messages almost every day from people just. Thank you. I didn't think about it. Thank you. This and that. And I was talking to someone about podcasting in general. And our goal is there's a lot of times we repeat the same things, and we do that on purpose. And it's because sometimes you need to hear things eight and nine times before it gets into your head.

 

00:01:22:10 - 00:01:47:00

Unknown

And so we talk about our stories. This podcast is really meant. Yeah. Some people listen from 1 to 110 because they find it entertaining and they learn something every time. But really it's also for people if they're going through something or they stumble upon it, they realize they're not alone. They can take digestible information and actually take it to the school, take it to an IEP meeting, take it to A504 meeting.

 

00:01:47:00 - 00:02:10:19

Unknown

But then they also know, hey, these guys can really help because they're not just butterflies and bullshit. Even though I like butterflies and implants and boxes like bullshit, right? Exactly. You know, it's obviously. Yeah. You know, you got married this weekend. We had a little event with the Stanley Cup. You know, the old, people always talk, you hear me?

 

00:02:10:19 - 00:02:39:02

Unknown

Cliches. Well, they're cliches for a reason. And so many people that that I spoke to, you know, over the weekend. Again, it's the same, it's the same lines, the same answers. It's the same. I didn't know that. I had no idea. Right. Oh, really? Wow. I you know, it's so it's, it's like the old tape stepping on the DVD, skipping when you got to put toothpaste on it.

 

00:02:39:02 - 00:03:17:11

Unknown

Oh, really know, because that's okay. You know, we talk from experience. It's it's, It's very different than than anything else. Now, you you take a look at the world right now, it's it's good against evil. And many kids are in that chair. As I talk about the kid in the chair. Just forgotten about, like, right now, the world is, you know, all that garbage.

 

00:03:17:13 - 00:03:49:17

Unknown

So much bullshit going on. The kid in a chair is has never been more forgotten about. Than right now. The Republicans are saying this and Democrats and the teachers unions saying this. Hey, I don't hear you ordering anything about the kid in a chair. Exactly. Nobody you know, it's they're taking the money from the department and the special education is.

 

00:03:49:19 - 00:04:21:17

Unknown

Yeah. Granted they haven't done Falco anyways before, but where's the kid in the chair? Nobody. Nobody's listening to them. Nobody's taken a second for them. And that's, you know, literally what we we focus on can't get to two, which means you can't get to the second kid to get the first kid. Yep. And I'm back in A504 right in my third IEP.

 

00:04:21:17 - 00:04:43:12

Unknown

5 or 5 040. So let's go. Let's, let's do in a little update. I don't think listeners, know that. So now you are and I asked Marie and I asked my daughter if it was okay if I spoke about this and she spoke at your event. I think we talked about she did a great job. She was thrown at you and not through and or the back.

 

00:04:43:12 - 00:05:03:21

Unknown

No, no, no, because that's not what it was that you were like, hey, do you want to come on experience? And she was like, yeah. And it was two weeks that I think maybe even just a week that she learned. And, you know, while I am in those events is I make sure everybody feels okay. Welcome loved support right.

 

00:05:03:21 - 00:05:19:07

Unknown

So for her to get up there she felt that. But you also knew that she would kind of rise to the occasion. You're very good at reading people and you know, the kids that are that you wouldn't call up, right. You know, kids that you'd be like, I'm not going to. You're like, maybe she will, maybe she won't, but she's not going to.

 

00:05:19:09 - 00:05:35:22

Unknown

But it's it's no life or death. Oh, maybe she will. If she's comfortable. And I was saying if she was comfortable she get up. If she wasn't, she wasn't, you know, pitch wasn't. No problem. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I'm not you're not getting up here. You got to, you know, it's, you know, it's you if you wanted to.

 

00:05:36:00 - 00:06:14:16

Unknown

You felt good to rise above the occasion and say whatever you wanted to say. Great. If you weren't great, too. It's it's it's not it wasn't a force pressure situation. And at all. She was beautiful. But she's, you know, your daughter's lived it, you know, watching Montgomery. Right? Watching you, watching grandpa, you know, so she's. I think she's even though it was fresh from her diagnosis, it was it was old news almost because, you know, it's been going on for for so many years her whole life.

 

00:06:14:17 - 00:06:44:00

Unknown

You know, she's 16, right? So she's had it for I shouldn't say she's been amongst it and listening about it for for 16 years. It's not fresh. 16 days. Right. And, and this is a we're going to go into two full conversation here because one of the things that's really interesting is that and I shared this at some point in the podcast, but when she was in pre-K and she was just turning five, she came into the car and I remember like she was like really upset.

 

00:06:44:00 - 00:07:02:10

Unknown

So she's a September birthday. And in Connecticut, the cutoffs are different. So she's 16 as a sophomore. And, so I think it was like, I think it was the, the pre-K. So she had just turned five and it was probably like October. And she came in like I could see something was wrong. I said, hey, you know, did you have a bad day?

 

00:07:02:10 - 00:07:20:05

Unknown

And she said, I don't, you know, and I want to talk about it. And I was like, oh, like in my heart, like, oh my, I would have been right. Like it was a parent or like, okay, I can't pry. And I was like, okay. Even in my head it's like. And then later on that day, like hour later as we were driving, she just said, mommy.

 

00:07:20:05 - 00:07:36:14

Unknown

And then she started bursting out crying, and she's like, I think I have what Montgomery has, I can't read. And I was like, oh my God, honey. And she had just turned five. So she was like, like it was like weeks. Come on. Why? Why is she reading like mine? What to do with your kids? I, we definitely had this conversation because I think you had said that.

 

00:07:36:16 - 00:07:50:16

Unknown

But she basically there was a kid in her class that was reading, and this is when Montgomery was getting diagnosed. What was his name? And you called him a loser? Didn't you know? I'm not going to say his name, but I go, you stay away from him. He's a weirdo. He shouldn't be a weirdo. That was. I was reading, like, chapter books.

 

00:07:50:16 - 00:08:03:21

Unknown

But he has a gene. Like he's a gene. He was like, reading and I shouldn't say chapter books, but he was reading at, like, a third grade level at, like a five year old brilliant family. But I did say I was like, you stay away from him. There's nothing wrong with him. No one should be fucking reading at about five years old.

 

00:08:03:21 - 00:08:18:02

Unknown

And he might have even been like, just for he was like a gifted kid. Okay, we'll just leave it at that. But we were we had just diagnosed Montgomery or we were in the process, and I could do that. I'm not going to do the math. Right, because that would be very painful. Would be an all day. Yeah, totally.

 

00:08:18:02 - 00:08:47:20

Unknown

I would not be fine. But it was right around early or maybe within that year and she was scared, right. Because she saw the struggles that we just went through. And I was like, oh honey, no no, no, no, no, you should not be reading. Well. And that just just screams and tells you how early we have feelings like, oh yeah, how early we have trauma, how early this goes back to.

 

00:08:47:20 - 00:09:18:07

Unknown

Right. How early we know we're different. Like Sheesh. You said pre-K right. Yeah. Pre-K. Just little brush. Barely tartar practice with you know peeing with the little Cheerios in there for target practice. Barely out of that right. Yeah. And she knows that like she's already afraid to be something. Right. She's already Shari's. She's smart enough to see Montgomery struggling.

 

00:09:18:09 - 00:09:39:02

Unknown

And she doesn't want that right. And she's she's already has fear at, you know, in pre-K. That's how early you know, we know. And people always talk about how early can you get tested. And you know, try living knowing that there's something wrong with you or you're different. I shouldn't say something wrong is definitely not that you're different.

 

00:09:39:02 - 00:10:04:20

Unknown

Right. There's something different. And why can't I do this? Like we've talked about this. My mental health is probably one of those one of the worst things, one of the worst in the world. You know, my anxiety and I never knew how bad it was. So, you know, to recently. Right. Has, you know, has it gotten worse? Yes.

 

00:10:04:22 - 00:10:37:23

Unknown

Has it gotten more understanding? Yes. But I'm wondering, why can I do this, like, why can I do that? Why can they do that? Why can't I have friends? Why can't like that adds up on a kid. And you know, that will lead us into, You know, Rest in peace, Patrick. George. McDonald. Like, you know, you had a funeral tomorrow.

 

00:10:38:01 - 00:11:07:00

Unknown

Patrick, passed away dyslexic. No one instance is great for my son and some of our best friends. And he was. You was dyslexic, and he never could, you know, and never could fit in. Only time he could fit in when he played lacrosse. And he learned about the cross from my son. And, He couldn't fit it.

 

00:11:07:01 - 00:11:27:17

Unknown

20 years old, jumped off a cliff. Dyslexic is never. Could not, never can fit. Why can't you know? And that's a prime example. You know, I was, you know, wasn't gonna talk about it, but led perfectly into he could never connect. Can never fit in, can never this right. What's wrong with me? It's nothing wrong with me. It's.

 

00:11:27:20 - 00:11:49:14

Unknown

It's the understanding of finding your people. Finding people who understand you. But you can't find people to understand you if you don't understand yourself. Yeah. Sending prayers that family. And thank you for. I mean, I think I know you weren't going to talk about it, but it obviously felt right. And and that you wanted, you know, to do that because you have seen all of those sides.

 

00:11:49:14 - 00:12:10:04

Unknown

And there's as we talk about the spectrums and not autistic, but meaning like the, the scale and the different things, it is and going back like she now I even think I'm like, I wonder if she was struggling. I mean, she went and then taught herself. We got her tested and she's like two levels from like the brightest.

 

00:12:10:08 - 00:12:34:01

Unknown

I mean, she gets a 98. She is so smart. But this is what I think is really important that people don't understand. Right. We talk about the the severity and the struggles. Right. There's so many, what? Like, we knew we struggled in school because we also it was really hard in so many different ways. My other to figure it out very quickly on how to adjust and how to get by.

 

00:12:34:01 - 00:12:51:00

Unknown

But then when they hit the AP classes, and we did talk about this in the last couple, when they hit the when they got into the harder classes, I realized that they were working harder than they should. And then she went driving and went left instead of right. And I was like, whoa, what's going on? And then like, algebra two is something that really gives her a hard time.

 

00:12:51:00 - 00:13:13:07

Unknown

And it's frustrating to watch. And I know for her, and that is where when she got diagnosed with mild dyscalculia and dysgraphia, like her numbers were all like high average high average high average and then boom, low. And it was like and she had two lows. That's it. Everything else was high average high arbitrage. And that's where like people will say, well oh she gets good grades too.

 

00:13:13:07 - 00:13:29:04

Unknown

Why should you get accommodations now? I've been through the whole thing. I've gone where I've had a kid that needed like if he didn't have the combinations, like he's so severe and school the way that school taught, he kind of like it just didn't fit right. He's really smart, but it didn't fit. That's how I was. It didn't fit right.

 

00:13:29:06 - 00:13:42:19

Unknown

My other son, he figured out how to do. Maybe he's stronger. You know, he gets solid grades. He's a good student. But there's some like math and science he has to work harder on. And like, you know, we don't take some of the high. So I'm like, just do regular. Like, why are you doing, like, history? That's bullshit.

 

00:13:42:20 - 00:13:59:17

Unknown

He does like history. He's very good at history. Like freakishly good. And then Penelope who English and all of that she's so good at. But we've always said, like, you're the really smart one in our family. You're so good at math. So going to science and she finally said, I'm not. Guys like, stop saying that. And I was like, well, okay, we're I'm not.

 

00:13:59:17 - 00:14:19:03

Unknown

And then that's the other thing where she was like, I had to be like this because I was the student. You guys were the athletes. You made me right. And I was like, oh my gosh. So it's it's thinking about all of our kids and all of the things. And you talk about the so beautifully with the family that, you know, the one kid that the puzzles like don't play games together.

 

00:14:19:06 - 00:14:43:22

Unknown

I think that I feel like they were on a lake. Yeah. You know, it was, the two brothers were playing, card games together, and one was making fun of the other because, you know. Yeah, you know, sex one couldn't do it. And, you know that time in your sibling banter is one thing. But when you struggle like that, you know, hey, he couldn't do it.

 

00:14:44:00 - 00:15:04:07

Unknown

And when I spoke to them on mom's, there's like, he was just devastated. I'm like, yeah, because that's okay. You I want you know, first off is a sibling battle, right? You want to be your sibling no matter where you are, how old you are, whatever it is. And I can't all right, that sucks. But then I can't even understand it.

 

00:15:04:09 - 00:15:38:00

Unknown

What's he talking about? What's wrong with me? Like that shit adds up in a negative way very, very quickly. And it's. It's kind of like weight being fat. I'm fat now. It's easier to put on 10 pounds. Very easy to put down. Yeah. And take and then take it off. So the negative, the wooden, your connotation is what I'm saying is the, the negative, impact of dyslexia is like putting on 10 pounds.

 

00:15:38:02 - 00:16:02:02

Unknown

Oh. Just sit. You're smart. Just do this. Well, look how long it took the 10 pounds off. How do I take, you know, so, you know, correlating it to, you know, to that it's it's not that easy, right. It's not. And it is. And that's where like the way we were talking in the why we talk about stories and why we talk about everything is so someone can take something away and be like, you know what I need to implement that's in my or a weight.

 

00:16:02:02 - 00:16:19:14

Unknown

My kid isn't like she's the really good one, or he's the really good student, but he's struggling and it's and it's at that cost that you talk about all the time. And now she said to me and she hasn't completely packed up and she's not like, like I'm like a talker. She's definitely more introspective and doesn't need to like, talk all the time.

 

00:16:19:16 - 00:16:39:01

Unknown

She said. It just she's like, I don't know. I don't really know. I really thought about it, but it's, but I forget the words she said. And I was like, okay, I get it. Like she basically I think was like, it feels okay that I'm not good. I don't I didn't know why those two things were harder because all of her friends are like the same.

 

00:16:39:01 - 00:16:55:07

Unknown

They're not. She has 98 average. They are 101. So she's like, no, I'm not the smartest. And I'm like, oh my God, honey. Like, you know. But she doesn't say it. Like she's like, mom, look, this is not it. And I've always, you know, with self-esteem and stuff. I always like, build my kids up and really have know them really well.

 

00:16:55:07 - 00:17:10:07

Unknown

So I know how to talk to them. And I feel like I've done a pretty good job with it. But you never know and you never know. Like when they have friends and when she's saying to me like, I don't think I'm the smart one, I'm like, oh my God, wait, are you going to be that kid? That's like, no, I'm not smart because you're not getting 105.

 

00:17:10:09 - 00:17:29:13

Unknown

But she was like, I am, you know, this is okay. And she's got like 13 really good friends, like, but two best friends that how many there's like a group of them. There are 13, but there's like two besties in it. And her two besties though are like like they are when I say like straight straight A's and they work at it, but they don't work as hard and she studies with them.

 

00:17:29:13 - 00:17:51:02

Unknown

And that has to be hard. Like where I'm like, you know, she's like, mom, I'm not. And they'll help her with math because she's comfortable with it and knows. But she's like, they get it. Like she's like, it's so crazy. They get it. I need to be taught a couple different ways. Then I get it and I'm like, but the fact that, you know, that is so beautiful and that you don't give up, but like, don't I don't want you to make yourself crazy.

 

00:17:51:02 - 00:18:09:07

Unknown

Like, that's my like I don't want her to become such a perfectionist over achiever, but it lives in that that her personality is very much like she does go above and beyond. Wow. That's you know, and that was that was put into her before pre-K. Oh wish I mean she taught herself to read. It was the craziest thing.

 

00:18:09:07 - 00:18:32:16

Unknown

Like I remember being like what are you doing to stop. And she had my mom on the phone and being like going through like yeah. And I was like oh she's going to be an intense one. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Was it's that's her that you know, that's how early these things take place. And that's why we always talk about, you know, getting tested right and understanding what you have.

 

00:18:32:16 - 00:18:57:17

Unknown

You know, that narrow psyche, you know, whatever that part of processing autism, whatever it's like whatever it is now, you know, now, you know, now you know, you know, you know, and stuff. Now I know in grade one, two, three instead of a junior or senior in high school. That's a big, big, big, big difference it is.

 

00:18:57:17 - 00:19:16:19

Unknown

And the fact that I shared with you, I went back and forth with that 504 committee and they were like, no you have to do this. And I was like no I don't. And it was five emails. It it was I started getting pestered and I was like, I'm going to take a break, but think about all the parents that don't want to be annoying and they don't want to push.

 

00:19:16:19 - 00:19:32:19

Unknown

And we've talked about this multiple times, but I'm going to say it again, if I didn't push, she would have gotten more inside testing. And I was like, she does not need that. You guys are not like. And I was very respectful. I was like, but please, look, that's not the law for 5 or 4. I know things are changing, but if you look at her report, everything is in there.

 

00:19:32:19 - 00:19:51:16

Unknown

That's why we went out and we chose the doctor. We did. Please just go back and look. Please go back and look. Please go back and look. Oh, great. Thank you. I'm so glad that someone went back and looked and realized I was correct. Okay, so now we can move forward. Well, you know, and you're the same. You know, if parents don't want to be annoying, I don't know.

 

00:19:51:18 - 00:20:11:19

Unknown

They can't continue to push like you do because they don't have the understanding. But that's why we do this and that's why we do this. This is my point, right? Oh, sorry. Oh yeah. You always. That's why we talk about it, right? Because to give them that knowledge, you know, you know the knowledge to say, hey, that this isn't right.

 

00:20:11:19 - 00:20:33:23

Unknown

Oh I heard this Julia talk about this, you know, you know, it's you never push if you think it's right. Absolutely. And what I texted you after my third email, and I was like, wait, am I right? Because then I questioned myself, right. And that's what's. And that's what the school system does, you know, that's what this teacher union bullshit has done is.

 

00:20:33:23 - 00:21:00:08

Unknown

Don't question me. I know. To each and every one of you, go fuck yourself. I know. Yeah, I wake up with it in pain. I go to bed in pain, I fucking know. Don't tell me because your two master's degrees tells you this is how you're supposed to do it. Oh, this is how they do it in the book.

 

00:21:00:10 - 00:21:17:05

Unknown

Or really when was the last time you read that book, you know, while it was you know it's funny. So Elizabeth's got to do doing continued ad for, for her job. And I said well I'm like every year you got to do all this bullshit. So, you know, come down towards the end. She got, she has a couple classes down by the end.

 

00:21:17:05 - 00:21:35:19

Unknown

And I said, is there anything new that do? Why do you have to do it every year? No, there's she's like no, no it's all the same. So you got to go and do all this and you got to be present in the classroom for fucking 8 hours or 10 hours non distracted to do it. Makes me so angry.

 

00:21:35:21 - 00:21:55:04

Unknown

Teacher. You know education is the same way. So many things are the same way. They just do it to check a box okay. You did it. You didn't learn anything and it's not progressing anyone. This is not. This is how we've been doing for 25. Well guess what? It hasn't fucking worked. Yeah, let's shake the fucking shit up, right?

 

00:21:55:04 - 00:22:18:17

Unknown

Yeah, yeah. And that now brings me to sign language for states that. So if you're dyslexic in certain states, I thought back in the day it was for all states, but I learned that it wasn't that certain states. You can be exempt from a foreign language, and you don't have to take it in college. You don't have to take it in high school.

 

00:22:18:19 - 00:22:36:12

Unknown

However, if you have a child right now that you're in a certain state and they're not taking a foreign language and they're applying to college, look into the college to find out what they do. Because we found out and I was like, no, you're not going to have to take it. Don't worry. Well, South Carolina State doesn't absorb that.

 

00:22:36:12 - 00:22:56:00

Unknown

And you have to take a class. So some. Now listen I don't know what the alternative is. Just take this with a grain of salt. But some genius go ahead. Alternatives. Fuck you right, right. Why does that right. And do this I cannot do the first fucking language. I cannot do English. I cannot do the first. Like. But you want me to take a second language?

 

00:22:56:00 - 00:23:16:10

Unknown

Let me think about that. There you go. You know, education system. Fuck you all. Does that make sense? No. And that retards. You heard me. But that came from. That came from Yale, right? And we I'm not going to even get into that. But it came from an academic place that said, you do not have to take foreign language.

 

00:23:16:12 - 00:23:32:19

Unknown

So then certain states and I don't know where I'm going to research it, but said, okay, what we're going to do. And I know even in high school this is an alternative for some states that you have to take sign language. Okay. And I remember first hearing it, I was like, all right, I'm not going to I'm not going to fight because whatever.

 

00:23:32:23 - 00:23:55:03

Unknown

Now my child that is severely dyslexic, I just saw this weekend, I, I mean, we were my sister and I were literally peeing her pants, but it's not funny. I mean, he has a light heart about it because he is a light hearted kid, but he goes, okay, so sign language. You have to spell, right? He goes, you have to spell letters out.

 

00:23:55:06 - 00:24:15:15

Unknown

Not only do you have to remember the hand signal, he goes, I am not deaf, I am dyslexic, so why in the fucking world would sign language be easier for me? Because it's an English language. As you said, I'm. I struggle with the English language. So why am I not going to? Why is someone say this is a good idea?

 

00:24:15:20 - 00:24:34:22

Unknown

So he said, mom, I have to spell out words, but I have to remember what letters there are. I can't spell and I can't process it that way. He goes, I quite possibly I'm going to fail this. And I was like, okay, have we talked to that? He's like, I've talked to people. It's not worth it. I'm just I'm doing my best.

 

00:24:34:22 - 00:24:52:21

Unknown

And, you know, he had a smile, but I was like, it's thank God he has got a good head on his shoulders because you get stomped on so many fucking times. He's like, I literally was called out in class. He's like, now I wasn't really paying attention because I was like, I'm worried. He's like, he's like. And then he also said to me, well, careful what you say on the podcast.

 

00:24:52:23 - 00:25:13:13

Unknown

I don't want to like, completely expose me. But he's like, I wasn't completely paying attention. And the teacher called me out and was like, Montgomery, can you tell us? And in a sentence. Like where you are from. And then something else, he's like, I had to think about how everything was spelled and then and she's like, come on, do it faster.

 

00:25:13:18 - 00:25:32:16

Unknown

And I'm like, but does she know that you're dyslexic? And he's like, yes ma'am. She does. And I was like, and he goes, oh, and the whole class is watching me. And he goes, it's just like. And I just, I like, I she's like, no, you're wrong. And I'm like, that is mortifying. That's like standing up, having to read out loud.

 

00:25:32:16 - 00:25:47:16

Unknown

I am so sorry. You go now. Again, he's like, I don't give a fuck. It's not hurting my ego. Because I was like, oh my God, right. This is like me as the parent trying to protect, but I'm like, who the fuck and why didn't I fight about it? Why didn't I think, oh, this is a bad idea.

 

00:25:47:16 - 00:26:05:21

Unknown

When they were kids, I did take music, sign language. My kids did know how to sign about ten different things. That's the other thing. And I'm going to let you interrupt, Montgomery said he got I now, I totally was. I was like, here's more. Here's please, like, I know, thank you. Like I had them signing of it. But those are those are things he does.

 

00:26:06:00 - 00:26:28:17

Unknown

But that's all of a sudden he goes, there's some words that just have one symbol and then other word, other words you have to spell out, how the fuck am I supposed to remember which ones have the this and then which ones are that? You're learning it all together and he's like, it is my hardest class by far and I'm 100% no, he said 98% going to fucking fail.

 

00:26:28:17 - 00:26:37:05

Unknown

And I was like, oh, sorry. Okay. I'm sorry. That was a rampage. No, it's.

 

00:26:37:06 - 00:27:09:03

Unknown

That would be English 101 on steroids. Would be harder. Right. Because you've got a least you know, if you're doing a paper, you can write it down. Right. And, you know, kind of look at work, not. Yeah. This is what, you know, this is what's maddening. You know, people want to stand up for, the teachers and people want to stand up for department ad, especially like it.

 

00:27:09:05 - 00:27:43:03

Unknown

We just proved a point. This does it. How does this make sense? It doesn't know. No. And no. Dyslexic decided that this was going to be pushed. Right. Ida, you're doing a great job. Let's pretend we're doing a great job. And then make this okay. Like it is the most asinine thing I've ever heard of. And. Just two example of how all those people that think dyslexia, all these, charities and things are doing a great job.

 

00:27:43:05 - 00:28:03:23

Unknown

Oh. It's really, really shows. That really shows. Right. They're like, we can't do the first language, but you know what you're going to take for more languages and then you can't graduate to you, you know, you know, be fluent in four more languages. And this is for a liberal arts. So I will state this is for a liberal arts college.

 

00:28:03:23 - 00:28:21:05

Unknown

So I don't know all of colleges. If you don't have to take that, why. It's it's not by colleges. It's by states. Right. Right. So still even you know. Oh so even if he was right, if he was not a liberal. I hear what you're saying, right? He still has to have that, you know, in that take that all term.

 

00:28:21:05 - 00:28:44:17

Unknown

So that's one of their alternative. So I'm sure there's other other states or other you know, has that also. But the point is the fact that you still got to take a second. You should be if you get in there all psych evaluation. If you're dyslexic, you have some of, you know, five DS, you should be exempt from a second language unless you want to take it.

 

00:28:44:17 - 00:29:06:23

Unknown

Right? Unless you want. Right. If you want to take it French, whatever it is, I you go ahead. There should be. No, I'm not saying you get those free credits. No, let's let's make some alternatives up. Right. But they have to take and not fucking sign language and not fucking reading and not writing like, yo, let's think about this.

 

00:29:07:04 - 00:29:33:18

Unknown

What are some options now? What can we do? I didn't I'm not. Again, be clear. I'm not asking for the free credits for for us. Right. We'll still do our work. We're not worried about our work. Well, let's call a spade a spade. It's suck my dick sideways because that is, if I did that to an in your kids, if I came in your your kid's classroom in fifth grade and said this, they come on you every single.

 

00:29:33:18 - 00:29:52:16

Unknown

Those parents should come in fucking hot and swinging. But it's okay for us. Yeah. And I know you're as angry as I am because it because again. And thank God Montgomery is like, you know, I said it, honey, that has to sting. He's like, mom, I promise you it doesn't because I so don't care because I'm not saying what.

 

00:29:52:17 - 00:30:11:02

Unknown

He's not going to pass the credit, so then he's going to have to do it. And you know, the time. We don't have to do something else. So I'm just he's praying. He's like, I, I'm holding on. I'm holding on. And I was like, but did you? He's like, I can't charm her. I've tried like so that's the other thing is which again, it's it breaks my heart, but it doesn't because my sister was like, oh my God, that's really.

 

00:30:11:02 - 00:30:35:01

Unknown

And I was like, Meg, don't it? I know hearing him right now. And he is laughing and you think I was like, he really is okay. The work and just the personality of him. But yes. Could you imagine if it's someone that's not okay and how much that fucks them up and how much stress, say, a parent doesn't understand and their kid is in college taking sign language and then they fail and like and here's the thing.

 

00:30:35:03 - 00:30:54:04

Unknown

So I also like there's it's twofold too because they were trying to make him take intro to Spanish or take Spanish one or whatever, whatever it was. And he's like, I've never even I didn't even take intro like I was as exempt. What's in second grade like I've never even taken like we're an elementary school. You have to take like he's like, I've never done any of it for.

 

00:30:54:04 - 00:31:18:02

Unknown

So for me to take a college foreign language and so they like I did have someone at the college fighting for it. And this was the only alternative they gave. So it was like, all right, well, just I guess right now maybe we should have waited and fought and then dealt with it in his senior year. Like now I'm thinking, like, I guess we should have done that because this wasn't completely thought through and maybe some other just like, should take one semester or what is it.

 

00:31:18:04 - 00:31:39:15

Unknown

Yeah, one semester, one one class of of a foreign language. But can he graduate if he doesn't have this? Can you graduate? I don't know, I gotta figure that all out. Like that's it. So I'm just holding on. We're always at the end, and he's like. He's like, oh, I mean, he's like, mom, it is. He said it's almost comical because he just goes back sometimes and he's like, spell.

 

00:31:39:16 - 00:31:54:18

Unknown

He's like, but I can't spell it. So yeah, so it is. I have, I have two people that I have or one person that I have to talk to, and you know how that is. And that I said to him, have you talked? And he's like, no, because there's there's no point. There's no point. I just need to get through it.

 

00:31:54:18 - 00:32:16:22

Unknown

And that's what I'm trying to do, trying to get through it. And I really did give it a try. Now. There are some people with dyslexia that foreign language is actually easier too, which is which is fascinating for your brain and higher brains option. You should have the option. Exactly. So there is that. Right. So I do know that.

 

00:32:16:22 - 00:32:39:03

Unknown

So someone like could come back and apparently sign language is not the same. Whatever it is, the reason, the reasoning why they did sign language and I'm not going to spew here. But there was it did. When it was brought to me, I was like, okay, that makes sense. But I didn't think of all the details. Even though Montgomery in the beginning did say, like, who's this is like a really bad idea, I don't think I'm going to be good.

 

00:32:39:03 - 00:33:11:04

Unknown

And I thought, he must be working now on the keyword you just said, there or the details. Those are what details or nuances are what is missed across small. Because they all who don't have dyslexia don't understand that portion of and never will. And everybody, you know principals and teachers and superintendents and teachers unions, they don't have it.

 

00:33:11:06 - 00:33:51:13

Unknown

They'll never catch up. And those are the things that hurt more than being punched in the face. I would rather be punched in the face all day long then have people miss the nuances or the details of what I was saying or what I was trying to do. And you brought up so many good points there and I really want everyone to think about this because again it is a personal thing when I talk about my older sister versus me when we were in school, it's a personality thing.

 

00:33:51:15 - 00:34:19:12

Unknown

And what so key is the options part because yes. Is is this taking Montgomery down? No. But he is definitely going into this class every day being like like think about if you had to do this. I like you probably would the after the second day been like the key keeps he keeps going back and is like okay I'm going to give him I'm try like he is just that type of person where I was like, I'm going to he he let things roll off his back because of who he is.

 

00:34:19:12 - 00:34:38:06

Unknown

And I'm just fortunate that that's the kid. But like when I was even talking to my sister, she's like thinking about her kids. She's like, oh my God. She goes, just even him talking about the where they called him out and he had to spell and the whole class was looking because he wasn't paying attention in the first place and didn't hear them calling because they were signing to him and he was listening.

 

00:34:38:08 - 00:35:01:06

Unknown

He was like looking down at something. He goes, I didn't know that they were even signing to me because I didn't know that they were spelling my knee. I mean, it's the whole thing just sounds like it. And I give him credit for giving it his all to what he's doing. And I really bring his weeks by. So we don't have to think about this.

 

00:35:01:12 - 00:35:19:19

Unknown

But it made me think and was like, we need to talk about this because this is not an alternative. This is a terrible alternative. And kids in high school, they're doing this to kids in high school. Right. And and I'm not going to say I'm not going to throw an alternative because I haven't you know, right. I don't I haven't, dove in far enough.

 

00:35:19:19 - 00:35:42:12

Unknown

I how it would be, it wouldn't be right to me to, to to throw an alternative into, you know, I do more do more research, do all the right things. But, not having a good alternative for a dyslexic is, again, kick me in the face. I don't want you. So don't tell me you're for us. Don't tell me for us.

 

00:35:42:16 - 00:36:04:01

Unknown

Don't tell me or the special needs to be. Don't tell me. Right. Because where are you every other day? Oh, let's see if you're reading at an 18% level. Oh, sorry. You don't get any resources because you pass the 17% level. Oh, but it's okay for a non dyslexic kid not to be reading at 18% level. That's not okay.

 

00:36:04:05 - 00:36:23:16

Unknown

So why is that okay? There's so much wrong with it and it makes me sad. But then it also fires me up. And this is why I'm so happy that we can do this and that it continues to grow and the foundation like because of you relentlessly being like, I'm not giving up and seeing, you know, okay, where do we need to go?

 

00:36:23:16 - 00:36:56:08

Unknown

But also being so thoughtful and like, okay, we're not jumping on that. Or before I was even involved. Like, I'm not jumping on that. I'm not jumping on that. Like, there's so much stuff that you did behind the scenes for the first number of years that really I applaud and commend you. And I know I've said this to you, but it was so important where if you did jump on these certain things, you would just be in the same flash of like people being like, oh, I'm going to do is like Montgomery said, he's like, mom, I'm not going to complain because I don't want it to be like, there's so many things that people

 

00:36:56:08 - 00:37:09:20

Unknown

think, oh, it's fine, because no one's complaining about it or this, not because they're internalizing it, because it's like he's not going to go and be like, I can't spell anything. Like he's not going to go to the teacher. And like, poor his heart out. I'm an idiot. I you, I'm dumb, I hate you and look at me.

 

00:37:09:20 - 00:37:26:22

Unknown

Should I wear a nice little Red Riding Hood hat and like, yes, you. And so like when he said I was like, oh my God. Okay. Yeah. He's like, I don't say anything, mom, I'm going to I'm going to I'm figuring it out. If you could go to somebody and we talk about all this, you know, and made by dyslexia, go fuck yourself too.

 

00:37:26:23 - 00:37:55:02

Unknown

You know, I'm, I'm hot. And Harry now is. Meaning is you go. You want to go and talk to somebody about it who doesn't understand it, right? And why? I said that about me. And it's like, oh, dyslexia is the best for the working environment. What I just said was he can't go to his teacher and talk about is just like, she can't go to his guidance counselor, whatever and talk about it.

 

00:37:55:04 - 00:38:21:01

Unknown

So you're going to ask. A person that's working who's bringing money for their, their family no matter who you know, if they're woman or man it doesn't matter. I'm going to go and be vulnerable to their boss who's got zero fucking clue about dyslexia and not worry about getting fired like, are you? I, I really oh refund day.

 

00:38:21:01 - 00:38:40:20

Unknown

I'm going to go and teach all the teachers how to teach to selection, but they don't teach them about a dyslexic. How does that work? So you wonder why I'm angry. You wonder why my mental health sucks. So you might. Why I get fucking pissed off and we worry about the kid in the chair because literally no one else is.

 

00:38:40:22 - 00:39:02:00

Unknown

I'm really worried about that. Was that was a brilliant outtake, and it's so true. I have so much more to say, but I want to say it for another day because I want this to settle. Really think about this. Really think about this. Thank you for joining another episode of Word Blindness. Dyslexia exposed. You know, to do like great review and share and we'll see you next week for.