Times have changed. But in some ways not so much.

I'm dyslexic. I discovered this when a senior in college. Mostly by accident I was subjected to the standardized testing used to evaluate such conditions; a female acquaintance with some influence needed subjects to complete here degree. When reviewing the results with her professor, he was in disbelief that someone who scored as I did was a graduating senior. Such testing did not exist when I was in grade school - a lucky thing.

I remember school officials trying to convince my mom that, because I read slowly and showed little interest in recreational reading, that I was "slow" and perhaps even retarded (that word still in use). I am extremely fortunate that my mother knew better and was not one to be bullied by authority - or anyone else. The real gift I had was that both my parents reinforced, always, that the only limits were how hard I was willing to work. This is what "wobbly" kids need.

Some years back someone asked how I overcame the "disability" of dyslexia. It was an honest question from a younger man struggling with the condition. I told him I never viewed it as a disability, only as a difference. I completely RULE at scrabble. I can do those word jumble puzzles faster than anyone else. I can spot patterns and inconsistencies in mathematical expressions readily, usually before most other people. Billboards and other text without context are generally very entertaining. I can get through any text that is interesting enough to be worth the effort. What you might call normal reading takes me longer than it will most, but my comprehension will be high (unless it's boring). I can't spot transpositions that lead to incorrect spelling but I have automation to do that (a prediction I mad in the early 1970s to a high school teacher who called me an insane idiot for thinking such a thing - hah).

I believe in diversity. We are all unique. Be who you are (and question anyone who seems to need to tell you who you are).