For World Dyslexia Day, Lauren Sanchez took to her social media to transparently share her struggles with it, in an effort to bring awareness. Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects the way you read and write. It includes having a hard time spelling simple words, confusing letters with similar shapes and mixing up the emphasis of sounds in a word, according to Cleveland Clinic. Growing up, Lauren faced tremendous obstacles with dyslexia, and she revealed her experience with it online.
She posted a picture of herself smiling in school as a little girl. Lauren narrated over the throwback picture and recalled: "That's me in the back of the class. Smile on, praying I wouldn't get called to read. Well, because I couldn't…yet. Dyslexia is common. About one in five kids process words differently. It's not about effort or intelligence, it's how the brain handles language."
Lauren emphasized how important it is to proactively discover if your child may have dyslexia. She shared: "Name it early and support works. Teachers can flag risk before kindergarten and tools like structured literacy and audio books do help. Parents: if that brave smile looks familiar, trust your gut. Ask for a dyslexia screening." The author concluded with hopefulness and added: "With the right support, your kids won't just learn to read, they're gonna learn to fly."
© Getty ImagesShe transparently captioned the post: "My brain didn’t fail, the playbook did. Dyslexia sharpened my big-picture thinking and grit, then the right support changed everything. Parents: if your child is working twice as hard to look like they’re keeping up, it’s time to ask about screening. #worlddyslexiaday."
© InstagramHer moving message got the attention of her followers, some of whom have also faced the same challenges. One person wrote: "Thank you for this. This was me. Tough years." A second fan added: "Thank you for bringing attention to this. I was the same way. You're so adorable."
© InstagramA third person continued: "Such an important message of awareness. That was me too. Thank you for speaking up about this!!" Another fan wrote: "You are the cutest! And so true! Getting checked can feel scary, but the right support makes school life so much easier and more enjoyable."
© Getty ImagesThe journalist previously opened up on Instagram about how she "didn't know" she had dyslexia and she used to be "scared," of going to school because other kids her age could effortlessly read and write. It was not until she got to college that she discovered her learning disability, thanks to a professor who noticed the signs and advised that she get tested. Post-discovery, she expressed: "Nothing was the same after that. I learned how to learn — and I'm forever grateful. BUT, if the little girl in this picture knew she'd be writing a children's book, she would never have believed it."
