The problem:
Twenty percent of the population is dyslexic, meaning that one in every five school-aged students grapples with learning to read, spell, and write. These otherwise intelligent and often exceptionally gifted children frequently misspell even the most basic words. Despite working harder than most, they are frequently accused of laziness and inattention. By second or third grade, their struggles become more evident, and they are placed in special education programs or other reading resource groups where the pace is slower, but the approach remains the same.
These creative, right-brained learners may develop their own compensatory learning strategies, or they might not. For many of these children, school is a challenging and distressing experience. They feel unintelligent and believe something is wrong with them. Highly motivated, encouraged, and supported children may persevere and achieve some success, but the journey remains relentlessly difficult. Others, misunderstood and unsupported by parents and teachers, give up and become the "problem child," spiraling into delinquency, self-loathing, and general dissatisfaction with life.