Dyslexia and Privilege | Samantha Coppola | TEDxTheMastersSchool

Sam Coppola’s talk will explore the services, particularly for learning- different individuals, that are based on economic circumstances. The speaker, diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, well understands the privileges she was afforded based on fee-based services.

Samantha Coppola is 18 years old and a senior at The Masters School. She has spoken about dyslexia to teachers and elementary school students at multiple private schools throughout Westchester County. In the fall, she will be attending NYU Tisch School of the Arts to study drama.

[heathermcbane]

I am in my 40's and about to graduate college to become a teacher - and I am dyslexic. We are amazing people, we are inteligent and fully capable.

[NA-cidz]

Thank you for this fabulous resource! I am a trained tutor of dyslexic children. I just wanted to add that data shows that teaching all children in the way dyslexics need to learn actually raises literacy rates of all children, even children with no language based learning differences.

[WilliamEllison]

I have dyslexia and ADHD, and I dropped out of school when I was in the 8th grade. I worked road construction with my dad until I was 19... Got my GED, and then went to the army. When I got out of the army I moved to MN and went to college at age 23, and graduated with an Associates in Information Systems management. I now work for a large bank as a Security Engineer. I taught myself everything I know, and I never had any help from anyone. You don't need all this help as Samantha states. You just need a strong work ethic, and not be so hard on yourself. Being poor or rich doesn't make any difference to your learning abilities. Having a good mother and father is the only deciding factor with these kids. We were dirt poor, but my daddy taught me that I would need to work hard all of my days and no one escapes this fundamental principle of life. My mother taught me that I could learn, but I would have to do it my way, and she was right. Here's some advice from a guy that never backs down, and won't give in until I'm satisfied. Don't use your learning disabilities as a crutch. Move past it and find your on way.

[Melthornal]

I am dyslexic, and I never received help at any point in my education. Except once. In college. When I failed German. I appealed to the dean, and the dean erased my failed grade due to dyslexia. I didn't get a passing grade, I just got no grade, as if I never took the course. That was the one and only time I ever got help, at all. I couldn't read until I was 12 years old. Once I finally figured out how to read, I began to read the dictionary for several hours every day. I had a very fancy dictionary that included etymological roots, historical spellings, and things of that nature. I used this to expand my vocabulary and learn to spell. I read the dictionary for several hours per day every single day for seven years. Like I said, I learned to read when I was 12. By the time I was 12, I was taking high school level courses for math and science, while falling far behind in remedial english. As a 12 year old I took 1 trigonometry course, 1 geometric proofs course, earth science, chemistry, and even advanced history courses. In essence, I was taking both high school freshman and high school sophomore course work at the same time. As a 13 year old I took geometric proofs II, precalc, and calculus along with physics and advanced biology. As a 14 year old I took AP calculus, AP US history, and 7th grade level english. Then as a 15 year old I retook calculus (just for fun), along with a few other history courses and 8th grade level english. Then as a 16 year old I entered college and began to study neuroscience. At age 12 I was illiterate, and at 16 I was taking courses in neuroscience, organic chemistry, etc. Reading is still very difficult, I read very slowly and it isn't very fun. But I can do it, and I can do many other things as well.

[JustFe]

Literally defined my life and symptoms I did not know I had dyslexia until I was 25. No one noticed not even me. I just thought I was shy and hated to read out loud and favorite subject. From a low income family. I wonder what I could've done if someone noticed sooner.

[KookiYuki]

THANK you for sharing the story of so many, like myself who go through the education system with dyslexia and for fighting to help dislexic children in future

[patriciademchuck]

I am was diagnosed when I was 9. My teacher suspected and talked to my parents about it. I am so thankful that I had this teacher!

[Tim_G_Bennett]

I found out I'm dyslexic and ADHD-PI at 37 (two years ago). It's had a devastating impact on my life and mental health. It's best summed up as learned helplessness and very low self worth.

[fetchthebolt-cutters]

I was diagnosed with dysgraphia a few weeks ago (I'm 19) living in Italy I was able to get my diagnosis with 38€ at a public structure. It's so disheartening to learn about how much it costs in the US and realize how many people will not be able to afford sessions and get a diagnosis just based on a hunch as I did, because no one would've spent that much for me without evident proof (which I didn't have).

[Ephilates]

This is my second time watching this. Ms. Coppola’s presentation is excellent.

[maryloustoddard]

Thank you for this video. I have a friend who is dyslexic and he was not aware until later years. But through the times he surpassed all the trials in life. He is not a wealthy happy married man and is proud to have a dyslexia.

[yashoza]

I use to do the paragraph thing....Good to know am not alone.

[dsgp]

Well done Sofia. Like autism, dyslexia has a spectrum, my motor skills were fairly normal, I rode a bicycle at four but had trouble with eye hand sports until I was about eighteen. I'm sixty nine years old. There was no such diagnosis of dyslexia when I was in school, even by the time I graduated high school. I was called LAZY by insensitive teachers and got heartfelt concern from teachers that recognized intelligence but couldn't understand my under achieving. I navigated life with wit and lies and managed to teach myself to read well enough to get along in the world. My dyslexia cost me jobs and advancement in life but it taught me survival skills. So much potential lost and heartbreak to people with dyslexia. I have hope for future generations. There is also an under diagnosed learning disability called dyscalculus. It obviously involves numbers and is as paralysing as dyslexia and often people have both disabilities. Thanks Sofia!

[Rayify]

i have so down so many never got the help

[johnvance]

I have dyslexia too and it was not identified until 7th grade and then in 8th grade they pulled me from my art class and put me in special ed classes and they re-taught me how to read. I was always down about this but looking back I couldn’t be happier that I was in that class.

[karenhungerford]

Amazing!!! Keep up the good fight! I have 2 children each with dyslexia. Each with very different needs! I agree that things need to be reworked!! If you took the bottom readers and put them all in same class for 1st and 2nd grade and taught a phonics based reading program they would probably all be on level by 3rd grade! I have no idea how to address the dyscalclia! Mine both struggled throughout school. School becomes a very negative environment with constant negative reinforcement. And you are so correct that social economic status comes into play! Good for you!!! Keep it up!

[christynudo]

Very true and powerful message! You are an awesome speaker!!!!

[phinch]

Absolutely correct, I am dyslexic and I would just quickly add that my reading is unaffected, so be careful not to discount the child based on not meeting more obvious criteria. On topic there is no need for a huge financial investment or for children to separate, my son gets all his support in school following an early assessment. The important thing is to take the opportunities as a parent to remind teachers of your child's needs (yes some do forget) and to check that they are acting on that knowledge. My son also gets learning support instead of learning a second language, that was a hard choice, but weighing up the pros and cons a reasoned one. Just to add I am shocked at the costs of assessments etc, no one where I am would expect to pay for such necessary things, that's a huge block on a child's succeeding.

[KathyWenzelwriter]

Another problem is the failure of many public schools to test for dyslexia or provide any help to dyslexic children, so all schools need to understand dyslexia and how to help these kids.

[gryphus]

Architect, Builder and MBA! Told it would be difficult to ever read or write! Intervention in Australia which was in the public system. This worked very well. Must be diagnosed early and intervention. I am proud. Jorn Utzon was dyslexic so is Richard Branson, if it is good enough for them good enough for me!