Dyslexia is a common disorder that challenges your ability to read, spell, write and speak. This neurological disorder is of particular interest to Annette as she discovered as an adult that she was dyslexic. In this podcast episode, Annette speaks with author Elizabeth Trudeau about her daughter’s journey with dyslexia, which inspired her new book “Brilliantly Dyslexic”.
Elizabeth’s daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia as a very young age leading to many learning challenges as she began school. Elizabeth says, most children with dyslexia are “just as smart as their peers, and they just struggle with processing language.”
The idea for the book Brilliantly Dyslexic came from a car ride home from school one day when her daughter proclaimed, “I’m just stupid”. This of course broke Elizabeth’s heart. She responded with no you are not stupid, you are dyslexic and there are amazing people out there who are dyslexic – artists, inventors, people who have done amazing things.
Inspired By Dyslexia
Inspired to find these amazing people with dyslexia, Elizabeth researched and created a binder of stories just for her daughter. Eventually, this project became the book Brilliantly Dyslexic. As the book’s website states, “These diverse stories encourage kids to dream big, play to their strengths, and never let challenges define them.”
Elizabeth leaves us with a few tips for your dyslexic child or any child for that matter. Make sure you see your child and really believe in them. Find your child’s strengths and support them as much as you can. Allow them to find something they are good at, allow your child to find and build their own story, to surmount their challenges and find their own version of success.
You can follow Brilliantly Dyslexic on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and keep an eye out on the Brilliantly Dyslexic website for the book pre-order which should go live in a few weeks.
Listen to the full episode here!
Annette Hines has been practicing in the areas of Special Needs, Elder Law, and Estate Planning for more than 20 years. Ms. Hines brings personal experience with special needs to her practice and podcasts as the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from Mitochondrial disease in November 2013. This deep, personal understanding of special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and drives her dedication to help others within the special needs community.