Black Boys and Dyslexia: The harmful effects of late or non-diagnosis
A few days ago, I read the story about the Hilaire family out of Roxbury, MA. They have two sons who travel more than 100 miles a day, round-trip, to their school. Both sons have been diagnosed with Dyslexia, a disorder that involves difficulty with reading or interpreting words, letters, and other symbols. This family’s story, and the lack of readily-available public school resources really bothered me. It also forced me to think of the number of Black boys with whom I worked in the past 10+ years, diagnosed with Dyslexia: 1.
As a Special Education Teacher, I have worked in elementary, middle, and high schools; an alternative school and a mental health program for adolescents. I have seen and done it all and learned a great deal from my ability to observe in every setting. Perhaps it is my years of observing students and being able to identify the various ways in which they learn, that angered me while I read about the Hilaire family. In addition to the ridiculous commute time for the children, the school system failed them miserably. There is no other way to characterize what happened. Both boys were diagnosed with the generic Specific Learning Disability (SLD)disorder in first grade, as are many other students. The issue with this general diagnosis is that it can include difficulty with reading, writing, phonetics, etc. More often than not, the deficits are addressed by small group instruction and having someone (or a computer) read texts to students. In my previous public school settings, I never witnessed anyone actually re/teaching basic language acquisition, phonetics, reading, etc. Why? Because all kids are ‘supposed’ to have those skills by the end of third grade. My early teaching experiences involved middle and high school kids, so imagine trying to teach grade-level content to students reading at or below the third grade level.
Like the Hilaire children, students with whom I work(ed) exhibit frustration, anxiety, and depression-like symptoms. It is not surprising why/how some students simply give-up. Considering the late, or non-existent, Dyslexia diagnoses for Black boys, it is no surprise that Black eighth grade boys are lagging in reading proficiency; or, only 3–7% of Black students are ‘college-ready’ across content areas. Rather than operating as a system that identifies, supports and addresses deficits, our educational system has become one that exacerbates the problem. The manner in which school districts identify and address issues that go beyond the generic umbrella term of SLD must change. Given that I am more of a realist than an optimist, I fully understand that change is more likely to come through the demands of knowledgeable parents and teachers.
My first suggestion for teachers is to educate yourselves! I am not implying that you go out and earn a degree in Special Education (although some graduate level courses would not hurt); however, a 1–2 hour professional development every few years is not the solution. The people in your building who have dedicated themselves to this work are your second-best resource, but do not expect them to replace Google. If you suspect or see that a student is struggling with written words, pronunciation, etc., confer with your colleagues, contact the parents, and implement whatever procedures your district uses for interventions, e.g., RTI, SST, etc. Those programs are in place so students do not slip through the cracks. Oftentimes, an undesirable behavior is the first symptom of a learning (not intellectual) issue.
I cannot implore parents enough on their part: Read to your children. Have your children read to you. Listen for things that may seem unusual. Ask questions of your pediatricians, teachers, etc. If you struggled with something in school, do not project that on to your child, but also be aware of early signs. It is never too early to get help for your child. Most importantly: A diagnosis of any disability is not a limitation on your child’s abilities. The sooner you get explanations, the sooner we can start the interventions. Stay informed and involved; you are your child’s first teacher and advocate.
We cannot continue to knowingly allow our kids to falter within the education system. We know the harmful effects of late or non-diagnosis; even the wrong diagnosis can be detrimental. It is time for us to do better by our children.
