Friends of Quinn

I could read when I was just 4 years old. Dinosaur Bones by Byron Barton was my book of choice. I would read it out loud to anyone who would listen. I felt like a literary genius! The reality however, was that my librarian mom had read it to me so many times that I had the whole thing memorized. I knew how to read the words because I had heard them so many times.

(At this moment allow me to digress and send my sincere apologies to my wonderful mother who had to read it a bazillion times.) Little did I know that memorizing words would be the ONLY way I would really be able to read for a very long time.
 
I am dyslexic. I was diagnosed officially when I was 11 years old and in 6th grade. Reading and writing were the bane of my existence. I would have rather scrubbed toilets or any other task then to read or write. I loved listening to someone read to me and I had great ideas in my head, just couldn’t get them down on paper. Of course this combination of hate and fear does not fit well into a typical 11 year olds’ daily life of school.
 
Here's a video about me and my journey:

Beginning junior high with a learning disability is like a giant black cloud already hanging over an already stormy time in any young person’s life. Who wants to be “identified” and go to “that room” for instruction or help. I would hang around the halls talking to friends and sneak into the room at the last minute. Totally convinced that no one would ever know that I had any kind of learning issues. Riiiiiiiiiiiiight, like that was going to work.

I was fortunate enough to have good friends, I was good at music and sports and much of what I thought would happen was more about MY feelings then anybody else’s. With the help of my parents, some wonderful teachers and even some bad teachers (I’ll have to devote a whole blog entry to teachers) I made my way through school with a descent outcome.
 
A lot of that also had to do with going to a wonderful reading program called Orton Gilllingham. This specialized reading program is provided free to children with dyslexia. I began when I was 15 at a 2nd grade reading level. I ended three years later as a high school senior on a college reading level. HOPE now became part of my life. Miracles do happen. I will blog about that experience later too.
 
I finished my Bachelor’s degree in two years at Full Sail University. Yes, two years of 8 hour days of classes and only two, two week vacations at Christmas and summer. It began like Mt. Everest but I conquered it very successfully.
 
Today I live in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I have a good job and live in a wonderful town. I ski and bike and meet people from all over the world. My dyslexia still comes into play on a daily basis, but I’ve learned so many ways to compensate that it usually doesn’t present a huge problem. I’ve come a long way from the 11 year old boy trying to hide my disability. It’s been an interesting journey and one that I’m excited to share with you in future blogs.
 
 Cheers!