Dyslexia Early Intervention Matters!
John Chambers worked diligently to overcome the obstacles of Dyslexia. At nine years of age John Chambers was diagnosed with dyslexia. His teachers presumed he was not smart and would never go to college.
Fortunately for John his parents both medical professionals recognized dyslexia and understood the importance of early intervention, support, and encouragement for their son. With his efforts and no fail attitude, John earned a bachelors, masters and law degree.
Facing the challenges of dyslexia, John developed a take-charge attitude that he would be famous for in his career advancement at Cisco Systems Inc (Cisco). He became the CEO of Cisco meeting with Presidents and Kings to bring technology to rich and poor nations. He is a respected Corporate motivational speaker, revered for the success of Cisco under his leadership.
“I learned to read backward,” Chambers said. “I give no speeches: I just do an outline in my head.”
He credits his parents for teaching him how to get through the tough challenges he faced. Reflecting on his parent’s support he said, “She taught me not to have fear of connecting,” he says. “My mom taught me about being able to extend yourself out there, the willingness to connect emotionally, and to let down your guard down, and Dad taught me to see around the corners.” He continued to say that, “Learning disabilities stay with you throughout your entire life,”
Learning disability dyslexia is a lifelong issue
A learning disability (LD ) is a lifelong issue.
With the right support and early intervention, many children with learning disabilities can succeed in school and have successful careers like John Chambers.
Early intervention is key to success
Early intervention shows it can narrow or close the learning gap.
The current emphasis is on a child’s reading by 3rd grade, but the research team from the University of California, Davis, and Yale University say efforts to identify or address dyslexia should begin as early as kindergarten or even Pre-K. (Study Link).
Having dyslexia should not stop you from succeeding
John Chambers was told as a child that he will never make it to college. Yet, he managed to graduate with a law degree and several other degrees that lead him to 20 years of a successful career as CEO of Cisco from 1995-2015. He is also an entrepreneur/ business startup enthusiast
Awareness and Advocacy
During a “ Bring Your Parent To School Day” at his daughter’s new elementary school, Chambers was asked a question by a student, who was unable to phrase her thoughts due to her dyslexia. Chambers famously replied with “Take your time, I’m disabled too.” That night, dozens of proud parents e-mailed the CEO and he decided to be more open with his disability to help future generations.
Today John is a spokesperson on dyslexia.
CEO John Chambers an adult continues to struggle with dyslexia and he inspires others through the story of his success and his no-fail attitude.
What causes a learning disability?
Heredity: Often Learning disabilities run in the family.
- Other causes :
- Problems during pregnancy and childbirth: prolong labor, premature birth, low birth weight, or drug and alcohol used during pregnancy.
- Head injuries, nutritional deprivation, and exposure to toxic substances.
What is dyslexia?
The word dyslexia appeared in 1896, authored by Dr. W. Pringle Morgan from England. It’s derived from the Greek word ‘dys’ meaning: difficult plus ‘lexis’ means: words or language
Adults with Dyslexia is a learning disability in a which an individual experiences struggles with reading and writing, but the individual also can be brilliant and talented in some other areas such as arts, sports or critical thinking outside the box.
Dyslexia is essentially a phonological problem where the processing of basic speech sounds is impaired. This impairment affects both spoken and written language and reading. Children and adults often mispronounce words and have learning disorder the names of letters or they are unable to find an object that starts with a particular sound.