When I first read about the movie “Dislecksia the Movie” I was excited. A dyslexic man named Harvey Hubbell V was making a full length documentary about Dyslexia. One of the main goals was to educate the public regarding dyslexia. Being a dyslexic, and working in the area of dyslexia, I am fully aware of how far away we are in educating the general public on what is dyslexia. In my mind, the more the public is aware of dyslexia, the more openness can be directed to dyslexics in dealing with their challenges in both educational institutes and workplaces.

However, I want to share with you my recent reaction to viewing “Dislecksia the Movie” promo in YouTube. The truth is that when I saw the promo, I experienced a strong flash of déjà vu. In the promo, Harvey Hubbell describes how his idyllic childhood changed dramatically the minute he entered school in first grade. I was flooded with my personal memories, of how I too spent my elementary and high school years encountering the school teachers’ and system’s negativity toward my reading and writing difficulties and how I was fully judged and graded based on these same capabilities.

I seldom look back at my school years. I don’t remember my years at school favorably. I might even say that in many ways I have become quite cynical regarding schools and teachers. It is so in-grown in me, that many times my wife needs to nudge me to talk more favorably about school in front of our kids. My negativity about schools is so deep, that sometimes I just can not control those negative feelings.

I give full credit to my parents and my parents alone, that I was able to learn with much effort to read and write. They sat with me hours on end, practicing with me reading and writing. I am sorry to say, that I give zero credit to the school system. The schools I attended provided no special support to my dyslexic condition, and provided no sensitivity and patience to my condition.

It is quite easy to understand the direct incompatibility between a person with dyslexia and the existing school systems. From age six and onwards the dyslexic has to attend every day an institution that places the highest value on how you Read and Write, exactly the two area points that dyslexics experience relative difficulties. As someone in his early forties, I know things have changed since my days at school. Education about dyslexia has grown, especially in schools. In many schools extra tutoring and special reading and writing assistive technology is offered to dyslexics. Diagnosed dyslexics receive special conditions in order to enable them to display success in tests scores and in their studies even with their reading and writing limitations. Education is slightly improving for dyslexics, but the Holy Grail is still far, far away.

“Dislecksia the Movie” in my mind has undertook a holly mission. If it succeeds in educating some of the people, some of the schools, some of the teachers what is dyslexia, and how a dyslexic boy or girl can so easily get lost in a classroom without special attention or sensitivity, then in my eyes it would have achieved its mission.

I will be anxiously awaiting the release of the full-length documentary film…

For those of you who want to see the promo, here it is:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGr3OotEbPs&hl=en&fs=1&]