Ridgefield Mother Of Dyslexic Kids Now Helps Others Battle The System

RIDGEFIELD, CT — You know that dyslexia is a neurological condition that makes it difficult for people to read, write, and spell. You probably weren't aware that it affects one in five people, or that a cottage industry is growing around helping the parents of dyslexic children navigate an education system stacked against them.

Ridgefield mom Catherine Scholl is the parent of two dyslexic children, and a former special education teacher in a New York public school system. Professionally, she has served as a case manager to diverse student populations, including those with AD/HD, speech/language impairment, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and emotional disturbances. Privately, she has been frustrated by the systemic shortcomings in American schools' handling of their dyslexic population.

That exasperation led Scholl to leave public education last year and join the private sector as a consulting partner with Right-to-Read Advocacy, a specialized service that supports families and children through the often arduous journey of dyslexia diagnosis.

"I was seeing that the school system doesn't give what they're supposed to give. Parents don't know that. They don't have any idea what to ask for. They just know that they have a child that's crying every night because he can't do his work because he can't read," she said.

As the mother of dyslexic children, a special educator and now as an advocate, Scholl's perspective is all encompassing.

Right-to-Read's business is helping parents navigate the special education system so their student can get everything they need to be successful. Most of the time, parents just don't know what questions to ask, but often the districts can't or don't want to give the right answers, according to Scholl.

"So it's really about educating not only the parents, but also educating the parents on what to ask for, and then educating the schools on what they should be giving. So the parents don't have to fight so hard. And these poor children don't have to sit in the classroom, and not understand a word that the teacher is saying."

There's no cure for dyslexia, but if children are provided the crucial tools — like phonics instruction — early enough, they can better compensate for their disability. Scholl said dyslexia is typically diagnosed around the second or third grade, but could be caught in pre-school, if parents were aware of the signs.

"If (children) can't tell you the months of the year or the days of the week by rote memory, these are red flags that we should be looking for that we're not," Scholl told Patch.

Sounds simple, but it's simply not happening.

"They're not screening them at an early age, so they're not catching it. So sometimes you don't even know that the student has a reading disability until they get to third, fourth grade. And now you're playing catch up."

Depending upon where your child goes to school, you may be catching up for a very long time. Scholl said she moved to Ridgefield because the public school system here had the right gear, and the right attitude.

"A lot of times, districts don't want to give families what they need because it's resources, or they don't have the resources that they need, or they just don't understand."

Scholl's inspiration to keep fighting the good fight is the purest. Her daughter Ellie was forced to overcome numerous hardships due to not getting the appropriate instruction for dyslexia.

"Her grit and tenacity amaze me every day! Despite her disability she continues to work hard to realize her dream of becoming a nurse and recently completed a very intense vigorous EMT Certification program through Wilton Ambulance Corp., even though she felt she could not do it!"