10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Dyslexia

Dyslexia in the Headlines

Recently, dyslexia has been a hot topic of conversation. Gavin Newsom has talked publicly about struggling in school and learning challenges, and Donald Trump responded to those comments.

What Happened in the Oval Office

On Monday, March 16, the president and JD Vance were joined by reporters in the Oval Office when Trump took a dig at the Democrat.

"With a low IQ person, you know, because Gavin 'Newscum' has admitted that he is a that he has learning disabilities. Honestly, I'm all for people with learning disabilities, but not for my president. I don't want I think a president should not have learning disabilities, okay?" Trump said.

He also took to social media to label Newsom as "crazy" and a "cognitive mess" for having dyslexia and doubled down on his comments about dyslexia multiple times throughout the week.

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Why This Conversation Matters

Now, I’m not here to debate politics or say who is right or wrong. But as the mom and wife of dyslexics, I wanted to use this moment to clear up some misconceptions about this neurodevelopmental learning disability (because there is a lot of misinformation flying around) and share a few fun facts.

Several people on my husband’s side of the family have struggled with dyslexia their whole lives. I’m here to tell you those folks, along with my husband, are not crazy, mentally unstable, or “less than” because of dyslexia. And, they are amazing leaders in their field.

My husband struggled in school but has found a career in management that he is passionate about that doesn't require a lot of reading. He had to learn how to be successful in the face of challenges.

Luckily, I knew the signs to look for and pushed for a diagnosis when my daughter was in first grade. As it turned out, we were at the elementary school in Warrick County that was piloting the gold standard curriculum for dyslexia. She was able to go through Orton Gillingham at no cost and had her own reading instructor who taught her the fundamentals in a way that she could understand.

She’s now in a typical Language Arts classroom and is making excellent grades. She scores high on her iLearn and even earned an award for being one of the top students at her school in Language Arts. She'll never be an editor like old mom, but that's okay. She excels in so many ways.

OG works. Really well.

What I Want in a President

As for leadership, being able to read off a teleprompter isn’t high on my list of priorities. Strength of character comes first, followed by diplomacy, emotional intelligence, decisiveness under pressure, compassion, integrity, honesty, good fiscal sense, adaptability, business acumen, resilience, a thick skin, and the ability to unite people.

Dyslexia doesn’t define intelligence, potential, or the ability to lead; it's just one part of a person’s story, and with the right support, people with dyslexia can achieve amazing things. To learn more about the Dyslexia Institute of Indiana and the programs they offer, click here.