Inspiration for Students Who Have Dyslexia Found in Unexpected Places

Like so many parents, I'm on many dyslexia-focused chat groups. In these groups I find inspiration, education, a place to vent and a lot of laughter. One such group is my state's chapter of Decoding Dyslexia, the Tennessee Facebook page. We not only have parents, but also adults who have dyslexia. It is in these times that I picture my children, all grown up, and I get such inspiration for their future endeavors! This morning, I found a fun little article about Southern grammar, which I posted to the group since many of us are in the heart of Appalachia in the Tennessee mountains. I expected much discussion and likes, but what I didn't expect was the beautiful insight into the life of a former college student who has severe dyslexia. With his permission, Reed Claiborne has allowed me to share it with you:

"Great article! It takes me back to the time when I was a student in New England. Me with an East Tennessee accent/dialect. Mixin' with Northerners was a challenge. Add to that being dyslexic....

First novel I ever read, Huckleberry Finn, was while I was a student up there. It was the one book I did not have to concentrate to read and got it. Twain wrote phonetically, and it was Southern. I got it. Some of the students up there struggled because of it. I think it was the first, maybe only, time I excelled in a literature class." 

We offer Huckleberry Finn as part of our Learning Ally audiobook library as well as 80,000 other human-narrated audiobooks. We also have a Learning Ally Parent Chat that we encourage you to join on Facebook. Tell us, how have you been unexpectedly inspired?  Learning Together, Jules at Learning Ally Jules Johnson is the mom of two children who have dyslexia and one of the co-founders/leaders of Decoding Dyslexia-TN.  After 12 years as a broadcast meteorologist, Jules joined the Learning Ally family in 2014 to help make the world a better place for those who have print disabilities like dyslexia or visual impairment.