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Dyslexia, dysgraphia, and determination

By William Romay, age 10 | May 27, 2024

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DEFEATING DYSGRAPHIA William Romay, a fifth grader at Yorkshire Academy, initially struggled in elementary school before he was diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia. Many well-known figures are thought to have had dyslexia and dysgraphia, including Albert Einstein, George Washington, Louis Pasteur, and Agatha Christie.

I often wonder how dyslexia and dysgraphia were created. Since the two conditions often come together, everything in a person’s life is affected.

What is dyslexia? It is a learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. That means that a person who has dyslexia has trouble reading because their brain is wired differently.

What is it like for a fifth-grade student? It means that even though you are a very smart student, you must work a lot harder to read and spell correctly. I don’t really consider my dyslexia to be a disability because I can do everything that all my friends can do, I just need to work harder. It is important to find out that you have dyslexia as early as possible so you can start getting help.

My journey to fifth grade has not been easy. I was diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia when I was in first grade. I was lucky to have Ms. Sharon Curran, who is a wonderful tutor, and I saw her five times each week until I was reading at grade level. But I would not be doing as well without my wonderful parents, who have helped me with reading and writing and staying positive.

Dyslexia often comes with other conditions, like dysgraphia. Dysgraphia is a neurological condition and learning difference in which someone has difficulty with writing as well as putting thoughts into written words.

In my opinion, dysgraphia is the most difficult condition to have since people think you just need to practice your writing to get better. It is not something I will grow out of. There is not a lot of technology available to support people with dysgraphia, and there are not many trained tutors. I have a special mechanical pen with ink, and the ink helps me write the words easier than using a pencil. I type a lot of my work, but I still like to write with a pen.

I will be graduating from Yorkshire and continuing my journey in middle school. I know I will have to work extra hard, but I also know I can do everything my classmates can do.

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