From the [UK] Guardian, Telegraph, Independent and BBC:

Actor Henry Winkler, better known as “The Fonz” from “Happy Days,” joined British schools secretary Ed Balls at events to encourage children’s reading and recognize reading teachers.

Winkler is lead author of the Hank Zipzer series of children’s novels. The books are inspired by his experiences growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia. Said Winkler:

“I was told I was stupid, lazy and not living up to my potential most of my life. And, when you’re younger and you’re told that, you believe it. It’s part of your self-image.

“Just because we learn differently, that does not mean that we are not incredibly smart human beings. That’s something I need every child to understand.”

(Winkler and Balls, above, Independent photo.)

From The Vancouver Sun:

William Vince, producer of the Oscar-winning film Capote, died on Saturday of cancer at the age of 44.

Among other accomplishments, Vince was remembered for learning to adapt to severe dyslexia. Although he never graduated from high school, he learned to read and write with the help of his mother and a private tutor.

Vince often credited his dyslexia for having developed in him a finely tuned sense of intuition and discipline. His brother, Robert, said Vince’s severe dyslexia gave him a strong sense of compassion for people facing adversity.

• Down syndrome babies have rights, too (Fox News blogs)
• Man with autism found alive after a week alone in the woods (AP/Chicago Tribune)
• Forum big draw for little people (Windsor, Ontario, Star)
• Little People of America conference fights stereotypes, discrimination (Detroit Free Press)
• Britain recruiting people with disabilities to become teachers ([UK] Guardian)
• Washington’s right-to-die battle is personal (Los Angeles Times)
• Larger special ed classes upset parents (Detroit News)
• Special education students more likely to face disciplinary action (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
• Ian Ziering speaks out about his dyslexia (People magazine)
• In Poland, Chopin’s heart may hold secret of his death (Agence France Presse)
• Gatlin challenges doping ban under ADA (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.)
• Court: Connecticut falls short in helping residents leave institution (Newsday)

From USA Today:

Benjamin Bolger, who has dyslexia, just earned his first doctorate at Harvard to total eleven advanced degrees from universities including Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, Oxford, and Cambridge, among others.

Bolger says he reads at an elementary school level. He has gotten through much of his education with the help of his mother, Loretta Bolger, who reads books out loud to him and types papers he dictates. He also uses books on tape and has learned to skim books very effectively.

… He says he works to raise awareness about dyslexia and inspire others to realize they can be successful in academia.

From The Chicago Tribune

As a deaf student in Chicago schools thirty-five years ago, Karen Alkoby felt frustrated and stigmatized, but American Sign Language (ASL) gave her a voice. Officials at DePaul University now say she has become the first deaf woman in U.S. history to attain a doctorate in computer science. Alkoby’s dissertation lays the groundwork for a computerized dictionary that may be able to translate written English into ASL, opening new doors to communication for the deaf.

The Boston Globe profiles four area teens who faced down major challenges on the way to earning their high school diplomas “against all odds”. Of the four, two have disabilities. Briana Galeazzi was diagnosed with leukemia at age 12, and Breannna Comeau has hearing impairments and dyslexia. Comeau, a star basketball player and captain of her team, sees her disabilities as gifts. “They keep me motivated,” she says.

From the Washington Post:

“Taare Zameen Par,” a recent Indian musical, is raising public awareness about dyslexia in India. Until now, public awareness and acceptance of learning disabilities have been woefully low there. The film’s title is Hindi for “Stars on Earth.

A runaway hit, the film is about a bucktoothed, wide-eyed boy who is scolded and punished by teachers and parents for poor test scores, and repeatedly called an “idiot” and “duffer.” He retreats into a shell of silence and tears — until a new, messiah-like arts teacher discovers the boy has dyslexia and encourages him to paint.

… Most Indian schools do not have programs to help children with learning disabilities, and teachers are generally not trained to deal with the issue, if not completely ignorant of it. The few private schools that offer special education charge extra fees.

Harnessing the creative energy behind the diagnosis

Wall Street Journal columnist Sue Shellenbarger offers encouragement to parents of kids with ADHD, introducing us to some adults who were labeled as children and went on to build satisfying, productive lives for themselves.

Among those she lists: Ty Pennington, the host on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition;” JetBlue founder David Neeleman and Kinko’s founder Paul Orfalea (above), who also has dyslexia. All had challenging childhoods, run-ins with school authorities, and teachers who didn’t believe they could succeed at much of anything. Neeleman said he thought he was “stupid.” Their stories are more relevant now than ever, with an estimated 8 percent of school-age children carrying the ADHD label.

The common thread in each case was the help of supportive parents who valued their children’s individuality, emphasized their strengths and didn’t give up. (Medication also gets a brief mention, as do behavior modification techniques.) Paul Orfalea praises a saying his mother used: “Look at your five fingers. All five are different for a reason. School wants to make you all the same.”

It’s worth noting that the strategies suggested here for helping a child with ADHD are markedly similar to those needed to help any child, disability or not.

If only Shellenbarger had edited out her references to ADHD “sufferers,” especially in light of the positive messages offered by parents. The phrase “people with ADHD” would have felt so much better.

Readers, now it’s your turn. Any tips of your own to share?