My name is Lauren and I love to read. Novels, magazines, Twitter posts from celebrities, Facebook messages from friends, I devour it all. But this wasn't always the case. In fact, I used to despise reading, and not in the way many kids try to avoid reading. I hated reading because I just couldn't do it. I am Dyslexic.

In elementary school I struggled mightily to get through even the simplest sentences. Letters would blur, flip, or appear upside-down or reversed. Full lines would appear out of sequence. I used to cry when I had to read because it was so hard for me. It was so frustrating when I couldn't follow the story because my brain and eyes don't see things in the right order.

Follow up:

I felt embarrassed about reading, never more so than when I was called on to read aloud in class. I can still remember so vividly the anxiety and dread welling up inside just waiting to be called on. I would try to sink deeper and deeper into my chair, hoping the teacher wouldn't notice me.

My response was to act like the problem didn't exist. This meant avoiding schoolwork and shying away from any endeavor that required reading. I already felt pretty bad about myself knowing I was behind the other kids in class, but when I stopped turning in assignments or studying for tests it just got worse. I know now that I am bright and vivacious but at the time I let my dyslexia totally consume me, shutting down and growing increasingly withdrawn from my friends and family.

Finally intervention came in the form of one of my school district's 504 Programs, a dyslexia support group. During my three years in the program I worked on reading skills in small groups with other children who faced the same obstacles and fears as me. For the first time I didn't feel so alone. I wasn't any different than the other kids in the class because they were dealing with the same issues.

Working with teachers who were trained to educate children with dyslexia, I began to thrive. I found a new-self confidence I never had before and noticed an improvement in my grades. But my turnaround would not have been complete without the help of after school tutors.

My mom comes from an education background and she made sure I got tested early on and sought out every avenue of help and support for me both in and out of school. It was great having a mother who understood my issues, especially when when school teachers didn't understand or believe I had dyslexia. At that time dyslexia awareness and addressing learning differences was still in its infancy, but because of her background my mom knew what signs to look for. Most kids don't receive help for dyslexia until at least 3rd grade but my mom was searching for answers when I was still in 1st.

I started working after school with a company called Creative Tutors and I couldn't be happier. I love my tutors because they are so nice and understanding, but more importantly, whether the subject is Math, English, or History, they have the patience and teaching background to help me thrive.

In 8th grade I began reading for pleasure for the first time and never stopped. I became a high performance student in high school, getting good grades while participating in numerous extracurricular activities. I am still with Creative Tutors and with their help I have earned enough credits to graduate high school early and and work in a research laboratory in my favorite field: Psychology.

My dyslexia will never go away; I still have to be careful not to reverse the x and y axis in math, but when I look back to where I started it's like I'm a totally different person. My mom likes to say that I'm the same kind, inquisitive, and bubbly young woman I always was, but now I have the confidence to be my true self. Maybe she's right. I do know that through hard work and the help of experienced teachers, a loving and supportive mom, and my Creative Tutors family, I definitely love the true self I have become!