Student Beats Dyslexia

Student beats dyslexia, with help from Eastern Kentucky program

Somerset, KY—“Lazy,” “unmotivated” and “slow.” These are labels that Jeffrey Cress worried about as an elementary school student struggling to read and write. Now a sophomore at Boyce Bible College in Louisville, Kentucky, Jeffrey wants others to know they can overcome their learning differences.  

“I was trying my hardest and was still accused of being lazy. So, I decided I’ll just be lazy,” Jeffrey recalls.

Jeffrey’s experience is not unique. Children with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia, are often of average or above-average intelligence. However, many fail to realize their educational and social potential, because most schools and parents are not equipped to help them.

Jeffrey’s mom, Karen Cress, would work at home to help him learn his weekly spelling list. However, come test time, the teacher would mix up the order of the words and Jeffrey would fail the test. “He had memorized where the letters were,” Karen said.

Help arrived when Karen learned of a local After-School Program sponsored by the Hindman Settlement School. Jeffrey says the program “helped me realize what I was dealing with and how to function in school with a learning disability.”

“It helped me focus and helped me see that I was not in the minority; not in an isolated group. I went from thinking I can’t, to knowing I can.”

Jeffrey still does not read as quickly as other students in his classes at Boyce, but he has learned ways to make up for it. He uses books on tape and professors offer him extended time on written tests. These accommodations help to make up for the different way in which he processes information.

When asked what advice he has for parents, Jeffrey suggested, “Acknowledge that your child learns differently and that they need help.”

“Learning differently is not a bad thing,” says the 21-year old, “but it becomes a disability when you don’t understand or deal with it.” Jeffrey feels that parents who do not get help for children with learning differences are doing the children an injustice. “You’ll limit how far they can go,” he says.

Jeffrey’s goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree in Theology. To fellow students with language-based learning differences, Jeffrey offers, “You are not by yourself. You are not the only one.  Get tested and see why you are struggling.”

To learn more about Hindman Settlement School’s programs for children who have trouble learning to read and write, or to schedule an educational evaluation for your child, call 606-785-4044. The program focuses on kids living in Eastern Kentucky counties.

Hindman Settlement School was established in 1902 to provide educational and service opportunities for people of the mountains, while keeping them mindful of their heritage. For more information, visit www.hindmansettlement.org.

December 2005