We first met 10 year old Leia via social media last year when she wrote and published her own book, The Dyslexic Renegade. In honor of Dyslexia Awareness month, we asked Leia to guest author a blog for us. Here is what she wants the world to know about dyslexia, in her own unedited words.
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I'm Leia. I'm now 10 and I am dyslexic. I want the world to know that dyslexia is important. Without dyslexia the
world would be boring. We would not have Disney World because Walt Disney was Dyslexic. We also would not have Patrisha Pulocko's books. We also would not have Albert Einstein's quotes and phares which are very encraging and his phizicks.
I found out I am dyslexic last year. I thout I was dumb and didn't not know a lot. I thout I had a disease. My tecachers were not halping me. They rolled their eyes at me when I asked for help! That made me feel like I didn't count. I didn't want to go to school. Learning about other dyslexics made me feel better. It meant that I am smart really just not in school. Now I go to school for kids who are dyslexic. I like it there. The work is hard but it makes sence. I feel smart there and no one rolls ther eyes. I had a hard time with my math homework and my teacher made manipulatives to try and they worked. I got to use the peics to help and it worked.
I want the world to know that dyslexics are smart. I want the world to know that if you are dyslexic then you should not be imbarisd. The more we tell people the more people will know and the more people will be happy to know more dyslexics. Maybe one day work will want people who are dyslexic because they do things diferntly. I want the world to know that different isn't bad. I want the world to know that I don't like the word disability, it herts my feelings. I can do everything. I want the world to know that I don't like the words speshul needs and I don't like speshul edication. My teachers who couldn't teach me need speshul edication to learn how to teach kids like me. They should learn in collge.
I want the world to know that teachers should learn in collge how to teach dyslexics so no one feels like I usd to.
I want the world to know that what happened to me in school happens to a lot. I feel bad about that.
I also want the world to know that I am Leia and I am dyslexic and I love to write. I don't care about my spelling. I know I make mistakes but I like my mistakes. They are pretty and they make senc. I wrote a book because I wanted to.
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Follow Leia on social media here. Also, make sure to check out Learning Ally's services for students like Leia on our Explore 1in5 website. Learning Ally members can find her book in the audiobook library here.