Fultondale family faces dyslexia issues head-on

Published 10:32 am Thursday, October 18, 2012

A Fultondale family knows first-hand how difficult life can be when one of its members has a learning difficulty.

Linus Ellis, a fourth grader at Fultondale Elementary School, has dyslexia.

His mother, Ellen Ellis, said he was reversing letters in kindergarten, but that’s fairly common for children that age so no one was concerned.

However, when it continued in first grade, along with significant reading problems, teachers took notice.

The school’s reading coach suggested having Linus tested for dyslexia.

“They actually brought it to my attention, which I was very thankful for,” Ellis said.

After confirming that Linus was dyslexic, the next step was to have him tested at school to see if he qualified to attend special

education classes to get help with reading. He qualified, and must be tested every three years to remain in special education classes.

Linus gets frustrated when trying to read, and his mother gets frustrated because she does not know how to help him.

“It is a daily struggle with Linus to read,” Ellis said. “It is so very difficult because I really don’t understand how he reads. I don’t know how to teach him to read.”

Recently, a teacher at Fultondale Elementary started a program with the Alabama Scottish Rite Learning Center, which helps children with dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

Linus is benefitting from the experience.

“I can tell it’s helping him,” Ellis said. “I’ve been real pleased with the school that they took the initiative.”

Linus said his favorite subject is math, but said that reading is very hard for him.

“I kind of hate that I have dyslexia,” he said. “I kind of wish I didn’t have it.”

Linus’ siblings, in seventh and third grades, do not have dyslexia, but they are affected by it.

“You have to focus on him, then it’s hard to focus on the others,” Ellis said. “And it’s been trying on me because we struggle each night with homework. You hate to see your child sit there and struggle. That tears your up.”

Ellis said that one night, it took her and Linus five hours to complete his homework.

Since he has been diagnosed with dyslexia, his teachers work with him by giving extra help and extra time to read, according to Ellis.

Ellis wants to share her family’s story in order to help get the word out about dyslexia, and the fact that there is help.

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. For more information about dyslexia, visit the Alabama Branch of the International Dyslexia Association website at www.idaalabama.org.