Photo by Aisha DeBurr

Shay Speer, 10, struggles with dyslexia

Sophomore Shay Speer is among the Americans who struggle with a neurological problem that has put a curveball on their educational learning abilities.

Only 15% of people in the United States are dyslexic. Dyslexia is a condition that makes reading and writing hard but does not affect overall intelligence. Some symptoms are late talking, learning new words slowly and a delay in learning to read.

“I absolutely love English, but with dyslexia, math is the hardest,” Speer said. “because sometimes I get the formulas mixed up, and some numbers confuse me.”

Speer was bullied in elementary because of her dyslexia. She was bullied because she couldn’t read aloud without stuttering and she had to go get help with her class work by going to special classes.

“People will always treat me differently. When they figure out I have dyslexia they underestimate my abilities,” Speer said.

Speer was six years old when she was diagnosed. Her parents realized she had dyslexia when she had trouble reading and couldn’t write certain letters.

“I have thought about what it would be like to not be dyslexic, but there’s more to being dyslexic than struggling with school,” Speer said.

The other 85% of people in the United States who do not have dyslexia don’t have the same experiences that dyslexic people have had.

“I think being dyslexic makes me who I am. A lot of things haven’t been easy over the years but it’s worth it,” Speer said. “Dyslexia doesn’t mean you can’t read or you’re not as intelligent. What makes [dyslexic people] different is how we see things such as our views on life.”

Over the years of Speer’s life, she has struggled with more than her disorder, but student criticism.

“Just because others have a disorder does not mean you can judge or treat them differently,” Speer said. “They are just as human as you.”