October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, and every year when it comes around, I am reminded of our own family’s journey that began more than 20 years ago when we were living in Los Angeles. It’s a story I carry close to my heart, not only as an educator but as a parent who once sat on the other side of the table, desperate to understand why my bright, curious, imaginative little girl couldn’t learn to read.
Our daughter was in kindergarten at the time, and we chalked up her struggles to being a “summer birthday.” Surely, she was just developing a little later than her peers. My husband and I both had English degrees; language and literature were our thing. How could it be possible that our child might have a reading delay, much less a learning difference? That side of our brains worked just fine, we told ourselves.
But as the weeks turned into months, the nightly reading practice that was supposed to be bonding time became painful for everyone. We tag-teamed, one of us reading with her while the other took a breather, and then switching when patience ran thin. Many tears were shed, hers and ours. The more she struggled, the more we all did. First grade ended with a non-reader. Second grade began the same way. Our daughter was working hard, but words remained stubbornly out of reach.
By midyear, it was clear: this wasn’t a “late-bloomer” issue or the “summer birthday” thing. Something deeper was going on. After much discussion between the two of us and with her teacher (at my school, no less), we decided to have her evaluated by an educational therapist. Just a few weeks later, we finally had answers: our sweet girl was dyslexic.
That diagnosis changed everything. Instead of feeling defeated, we felt relief. Finally, we had a roadmap. We had language for what we were seeing. Most importantly, we had hope.
At the time, my school in Los Angeles didn’t have a learning center or an Accelerated Learning Program for Dyslexia like the one we’re so fortunate to have at Darlington today. We had to seek support outside of school, and we quickly found a reading specialist trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach, a structured, explicit, multisensory method proven to help students with dyslexia. Our daughter began attending sessions several times a week both after school and on Saturdays. Slowly but surely, the pieces started to connect. Words that once felt impossible began to make sense. Confidence returned. And so did joy.
Each tutoring session became something truly special, centered around the simple idea of a tea party. Our daughter never became overwhelmed during those sessions, the way she often did with us at home. She never even realized she was finally learning to read. She and her OG tutor would sip tea from “fancy” cups, adding far too many sugar cubes, and through that gentle ritual, she discovered that there was a place for words in her world. If you ask her today, she doesn’t remember the phonics drills or the remediation; she remembers the tea parties. Maybe that’s why she collects “fancy” teacups even to this day.
Today, our daughter is a thriving adult who has built a successful career in graphic design, a field that beautifully aligns with the creative, visual, and innovative ways her dyslexic brain processes the world. She applies her gifted mind to the art of communication every day, bringing ideas to life through images, color, and design in ways that words alone never could. Each project she creates is a testament to her perseverance, her confidence, and the incredible potential that comes from learning differently. Looking back, I realize how her journey profoundly shaped my own approach as an educator and now as division director. It gave me deep empathy for every family navigating similar paths and a lifelong commitment to ensuring that every child, especially those who learn differently, has the resources and support to flourish.
At Darlington, we celebrate and support students with dyslexia through our Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) and the Teaching & Learning Center, spaces where research-based instruction meets compassionate teaching. Our mission calls us to help every student “learn with passion, act with integrity, and serve with respect.” For our dyslexic learners, that means giving them the tools, strategies, and confidence to unlock their potential and discover that their unique way of seeing the world is, in fact, a strength.
As a parent who has walked that path, and as an educator who now walks it beside so many others, I can say this with absolute conviction: dyslexia is not a limitation; it’s a different way of wiring brilliance.
Click here to learn more about the Accelerated Learning Program for Dyslexia at Darlington School.
