Outreach: Making a difference
From the time he started elementary school, Richard W. Courts IV struggled with conventional learning. He was smart, no doubt, but reading, spelling, and math were a challenge.
In sixth grade, he found out why. Courts was diagnosed with dyslexia, the most common learning difference among school-aged children.
“It’s just a different way of thinking,” Courts says. “Having dyslexia taught me from an early age how to struggle and be comfortable struggling. And that’s a great life skill.”
Kristin Sayeski and Jennifer Lindstrom, both associate professors in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education, are co-founders of UGA’s Dyslexia Endorsement and Certificate Program. Their innovative work is helping a new generation of educators as they help children with learning differences.