DOUBLE VISION

No, not Dan’s, MINE. I found this piece in my digital files, but with no sign that I ever ran the sucker, on EITHER of my sites. If I filed it to one side back in July of 2004 to finish polishing it up and never returned to it … well, it deserved better. My apologies. -tlp-

Dan E. Randle

LUKOL Dyslexia Directory provides links to the sites which deal with all sorts of dyslexia issues. There we learned that dyslexia is "a reading disability resulting from a defect in the ability to process graphic symbols" and describes it as synonymous with "developmental reading disorder" or DRD.Checking more links in the directory, we found a list of symptoms. The list includes difficulty in recognizing written words, in rhyming, and in determining the meaning of simple sentences. Apparently, dyslexia, a Greek word that literally means "trouble with words," may also be accompanied by problems learning to write and perform arithmetic, and often runs in families.

Remedial instruction is recommended as the best treatment for this disorder.

On a site called Teens Helping Teens, created by and for teens with learning disabilities, we found an intelligent, compassionate description of dyslexia: “...a neurologically-based, often familial, disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language... Dyslexia is not a result of lack of motivation, sensory impairment, inadequate instructional or environmental opportunities, or other limiting conditions... Although dyslexia is life-long, individuals with dyslexia frequently respond successfully to timely and appropriate intervention. There are many methods, theories, and teaching systems for helping people with dyslexia learn to process language.”

I have known for a long time that I suffered from dyslexia as a young person. This was evidenced by the inability to distinguish between g's, p's, and q's in letters, 6's and 9's in numbers. I knew it at the time, and worked hard to overcome the problem. I did finally get the better of it, otherwise I would have never been able to get a degree in engineering.

I sometimes wonder what I could have accomplished had I been given the benefit of today's advancements in this area. My oldest son, Scott, 33, suffered from dyslexia. He was diagnosed at a very early age and sent through a program to help him solve the problem. It worked for him because, today, he and his younger brother, Sean 27, operate their own construction company.

I also suffered another malady that most of the people that went to school with me didn't know. I had a problem with pronouncing some words. I remember one word that I could never pronounce, fork. I pronounced it spork. This was due to the fact that I had double ear infections as a child and could never hear words right. In fact due to this problem, mother told me that I never uttered a sound until I was two years old. Anyway, I was sent through a speech program in the 6th grade to overcome my speech problems. After completing the program, I was able to pronounce words in a manner that allowed me to communicate with people without them thinking there was something wrong with me.

It's amazing what a person can overcome it they really want to. I wonder how many of my classmates had some type malady that we didn't know about. Most people don't like talking about it but, at my age, what difference does it make?

Tom Pry

I suppose I was as close to Dan as any other male was during our high school years together, and I did not know about either of those afflictions. It’s as simple as that: Dan whipped them to a point where I (and my professional preoccupation with speech) never knew, which is a great tribute to Dan’s persistence toward solving problems.

One of my step-sons, back when he was in grammar school, was bright as they come, but his grades really stunk (stank?) … until one of his teachers, on a hunch, tested him and discovered he was dyslexic. She worked with him and, rather quickly, he overcame the problem and joined his brothers in near-4.0 scoring.

Still … as serious a handicap as this is, like all such problems, it helps to keep a sense of humor. My favorite is “Join DAM – Mothers Against Dyslexia!” My second favorite is “Dyslexics of the world: UNTIE!”

Sorry. Had to get that out of my system; bad taste is my handicap.