Our son, Rosdom, is very smart and brave. We recognized these characteristics early in his childhood, but we also saw some unusual behavior that held clues that he would not grow up as a typical child.
In preschool, specialists told us that Rosdom would not be able to read, write, or function socially. This information led to many exhausting nights and conversations with teachers, researchers, scientists, and parents who live with similar circumstances. We worried about his education and future. We explored learning environments, resources, and strategies to support children with multiple disabilities. We found Bookshare and assistive technologies.
Accessible Ebooks and Technology with Text-to-Speech Help Rosdom to Excel Academically
In third grade, with a diagnosis of dyslexia and autism, Rosdom was placed in special education. He was given an Individual Education Program (IEP) with reading accommodations. This included an individual membership to Bookshare which enabled him to receive educational materials in digital accessible format and read them with assistive technology devices.
I must thank the reading tutors and a teacher’s aide who learned about Bookshare and text-to-speech. This capability empowered our son to quickly distill information at and above his grade level with his sharp comprehension and recall skills. Through text-to-speech he could reread and relisten to information through highlighted words on screen accompanied by audio. His comprehension soared! By fourth grade, Rosdom did all his own coursework independently, including assignments in literature and history, two of his favorite subjects, in addition to mathematics.
By ninth grade, he took honors classes and received high grades. His ACT scores placed him in the upper 25% to attend a top-ranking college and he now speaks of attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We also just learned that an essay he wrote on To Kill a Mockingbird was chosen as a finalist in the Facing History and Ourselves contest at his school. This is a wonderful accomplishment for a child with neurotypical issues.
Today, I’m Brave Campaign – Rosdom’s Social Skills
On the social side, our son is now a brand ambassador for the Today, I’m Brave campaign, a heart-centered, socially-driven experiment that celebrates people performing brave acts every day. He has many friends. He studies Japanese and talks of becoming a writer, living in Japan, and working in the gaming industry. He loves to read Shakespeare and manga, a form of Japanese comic books, which he finds in Bookshare.
Our journey has not been easy. Over many years, Rosdom recognized his challenges and fought to not be different. Through the Today, I’m Brave campaign, he wants kids to know that you don’t just succeed with sheer luck, but with support and high expectations from parents and teachers, and with praise and access to resources, like Bookshare and technologies. To parents like us, we say, “Do not give up hope. Your child, like our son, now eighteen, can be destined to accomplish great things.”
A Note from Rosdom Kaligian
I produced the Today, I’m Brave video because I want more kids to know that while dyslexia is a pest, it is not a death sentence and does not have to define who you are. You can still excel in school and life.
To readers of this blog, I want you to know that I am smart and determined. I would like to hear more teachers and parents say to people, like me, who are different, “Wow, you had a lot of obstacles in your path, but you found ways to get beyond them and truly excel.” It would be great to hear these words of praise more often!
P.S. Today, Rosdom’s video has more than 13,561 views!
Special thanks to Barbara-Seda Aghamianz and Rosdom Kaligian for sharing their personal journey.
Sign Up for Bookshare Now… Before Back to School Begins!
Bookshare is the world’s largest online library of accessible ebooks for people who cannot read printed books due to blindness, low vision, dyslexia, and other print disabilities.
Through Bookshare’s extensive collection of educational and popular titles, including K-12 textbooks, specialized book formats, and reading tools, the online library offers individuals who cannot read standard print materials the same ease of access that people without disabilities enjoy.
We encourage all parents of children with print disabilities to learn more about Bookshare and sign up for an individual membership. In addition, let your child’s teachers know about Bookshare so they can sign up the school for an organizational membership. Both memberships are free for qualified U.S. students and schools.
Thank you Sydney for writing to us about this post, saying, “I’m vishualy impared so I know what it’s like to be different and have challenges that my classmates don’t have to face. I’m often frustrated by my fellow students lack of understanding and my teacher unacomadating nature. I find his storry inspiring and all that he accomplished amazing. I wish that his achievements could surve to show that people with dissabilitys especially children are often underestimated and misrepresented.