My name is Anya. I am sixteen years old and I am dyslexic. I found out that my mother thought there was something out of the ordinary about me when I was five years old. My mom started to see a change in me because I would get home at 3:00 and start my homework, but I wouldn’t get done until 9:00 at night. When my mom took me to the doctor and told them that, they just kept saying there wasn’t anything different about me, but my mom knew there was. So, she didn’t stop looking.
Finally, my mom had me tested at the age of six, and they told her I had dyslexia. When I got older my mom told me I was dyslexic. I didn’t accept it even though ever since I was in fifth grade people always teased me because they said I was dyslexic. They made me feel bad about myself and they bullied me for being dyslexic. I never knew why until I got old enough to understand that people are judgmental. People judge me before they even get to know me.
When I was in sixth grade, all the kids were mean to me and found fault with me, except for two girls who are still my best friends. Their names are Sally and Tisha. Those two girls were the only ones who didn’t treat me differently or make fun of me in school. My mom and aunt talked to me and explained that it is just how people are and I didn’t need to be someone I was not. It took me a very long time to accept the fact that I’m dyslexic because I always thought that dyslexia was a bad disability to have. At first it didn’t matter how many times my mom explained it, I just didn’t want to hear it.
One day, I was in school and looked up the word on the computer and read what it meant and that same day is when I accepted the fact that I was dyslexic. Now that I am older and can walk around and say that I am dyslexic, it is a really great thing for me. I came a long way to get where I am now. I owe that all to my mom, my Aunt Tasha, Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Mary who told me I could do it. I’m so proud of myself because I came a long way and worked really hard to get where I am now. I am glad I had people in my corner to back me and people who motivated me into doing what I needed to do.
When I first started to see that I was progressing, I was pleased with myself, because people had always doubted me from the time I was diagnosed with dyslexia until the present. The people who don’t doubt me are the people who have been in my corner from day one. I just want to say thank you to those people. I am not ashamed or afraid to tell people that I am dyslexic because now each year I get older I accept it better. I just want other kids and adults to know that it’s never too late to get help for any disability. Never let someone tell you that you can’t do it or make it, because you can. When people doubt you, take that as a positive comment and let that motivate you into doing whatever you want to be or do. One thing I learned is never say the word “can’t,” because the word you’re supposed to say is “can.” When I stopped saying, “I can’t do it”, a lot of great things happened to me, meaning I hit all my goals for reading and spelling. If I can do it, so can you. Never let the word dyslexic scare you because with a little hard work there is nothing you can’t do. People who have dyslexia and are willing to address it, are the ones who get somewhere in life.