"A handicap can be comparatively unimportant when you build your life around your talents rather than your disabilities." —Thomas West, In the Mind's Eye

About John Beich:
Personal Educational History

As early as first grade I was placed in the lowest reading group and it was determined that I was slow to develop necessary reading and handwriting skills. Attending a small private school in Denver, expectations were high for students. I was slowed by difficulty with decoding words, attention to visual details, and poor fine-motor skills. My parents observed that I became disappointed in my inability to keep up with peers. While I was struggling in reading I was succeeding in math and in an attempt to compensate I pored over my math workbook to finish the entire book as fast as I could and ahead of my classmates. At the time reading and handwriting were a concern, but there was still time to fill in some of the gaps that were developing.

Third grade was a watershed year in my academic career (this is a common year for academic turmoil). I vividly remember that we were reading James and the Giant Peach. The entire class was reading the book and having daily discussions as well as taking turns reading passages out loud. All of a sudden (at least in my memory) I lost contact with the class. The coping skills that I had developed were not adequate enough to help me pass. It became clear to my teacher, my parents, and myself that I was not keeping up.

Early in the year I was given a battery of tests to determine my intellectual strengths and weaknesses. The test determined that I had significant variation in my scores. While my lowest scores fell in the average range they were problematic considering the skill level of most of my piers. I was not labeled with a learning disability at the time, but I was remediated and my self-esteem suffered. The confluence of new skills that I was expected to master was just overwhelming. I struggled with cursive because of my weakness with fine motor skills, reading aloud was a nightmare because of my decoding weaknesses, and complete confusion regarding phonetic associations made spelling an embarrassment.

For the next five years my reading, writing, and self-esteem languished. Any momentum or long lasting success was thwarted. It was usually crushed by two recurring themes. First, my knowledge and understanding of a subject was determined through sequentially organized and detail-oriented tests. Under pressure I was unable to use my greatest skill which is visualization and the ability to understand "big picture concepts." Whenever a test would roll around I would remember past failures and panic, which resulted in misrepresentative impressions about my effort and ability. I was being judged by my weaknesses.

The second theme arose due to years of being told that I was not learning fast enough or retaining the "right" information. I began to view myself as a hopeless case; I embraced people's misconceptions. In seventh grade I was tested again and labeled learning disabled or LD. I had stopped taking chances and began to accept the fact that I would never be "smart." I had moments of deep interest in academic subjects, but I really struggled to find an entry point or door that would lead to sustained and smooth learning. I had fallen behind academically and emotionally.

Then I was provided with guidance from an individual who had been in my position, and his kind treatment and words of advice were invaluable. In seventh grade, I met a man by the name of Jeff Freed (Author of Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World) who reshaped the issue for me. He put the "disability" into positive terms, so that it began to feel like a gift. He presented the idea that people learn through different styles. He pointed out that all learning styles have positive and negative aspects. His greatest method was helping me to see that despite all of the criticism and adversity I faced, it was the system that was flawed, not me. It took a while for his approach to fully sink in, but in time my self-image drastically improved and I was willing to extend and challenge myself in academic venues. Slowly I re-engaged in academic and intellectual endeavors. My struggles were not over but my path had changed and the trajectory of my life shifted.

I would have never have guessed that I could make it through all of the frustration and resistance. However, I continued to grow throughout high school, college, and graduate school improving my academic skills every year. Now I am proud to say that I have a unique learning style and I cherish the perspective that my experience with a so-called "disability" has provided me. As a result it is my goal to share experiences and insure that more children are able to realize their full potential and cultivate a true love of learning.