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Kelly Ripa reveals how youngest son overcame learning difficulties

The Live With Kelly and Ryan host's son has 'profound' learning difficulties

kelly ripa son joaquin
Melanie Macleod
Wellness Editor
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Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos are proud of all three of their children, but they felt extra admiration for their son Joaquin when he started college.

The Live with Kelly and Ryan star shared that Joaquin, 24, is "profoundly dyslexic and dysgraphic," which meant they thought he would never be able to go to college, however, he was accepted into the University of Michigan on a wrestling program, thrilling his parents.

WATCH: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos' love story revealed 

Dysgraphia is a fairly uncommon neurological disorder, affecting between five and 20 per cent of people. It impacts our ability to write, meaning those with the condition may have issues with spelling, legibility, word spacing and sizing.

Dyslexia, on the other hand, impacts reading ability, though the two conditions share similarities, such as difficulty spelling.

Kelly Ripa and her son when he was a baby© Photo: Getty Images

Kelly  Ripa's son Joaquin was diagnosed with learning difficulties in childhood

Dysgraphia is normally recognized in childhood, with people with the conditions struggling to learn to write, often having unusual handwriting.

POPULAR: Kelly Ripa's son is unrecognizable in new photo shared ahead of long-awaited change

Kelly wrote about her son's dyslexia and dysgraphia in her book Live Wire, noting that she noticed the conditions when he struggled with reading and writing during childhood.

Kelly Ripa and her family in front of a Christmas tree© Photo: Instagram

Kelly Ripa with her husband and three children

They enrolled him in a special school to aid those with learning disabilities, which she stated made all the difference and saw him "on his path to not only loving school but excelling at it."

LOOK: Where does Kelly Ripa's son Joaquin live now he's left his $27m NY townhouse?

He eventually graduated in 2021 from the school Honors Society, also winning achievement awards in math, art, and science and ultimately headed off to Michigan to join their renowned wrestling team.

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