Living with a Disability by: Helena Steffens
“L
et me ask you a ques- is severely dyslexic, which is part of in it. Because he had trouble memtion. If you were going to take your the reason why he is able to so effec- orizing lines, he mostly got small head and hit it against the wall… tively teach these students. Having a parts that just had a few lines. Howthis wall over here is made out of learning difference not only sets you ever, he still loved it. After graduatconcrete…how many times would apart from students in your class, ing high school, he went on to UC you have to hit your head against but also unfortunately from society. Berkeley. Unsurprisingly, as he says, that wall before you stop? ...How Mr. D, however, is able to transform he flunked out after just one year. many times would you have to these students and inspire them to Following UC Berkeley, he knew be the best they can possibly be. he still needed to get an education. hit your head against the wall He enrolled himself into the before you stop hitting your University of San Francisco “I can still remember head against the wall?” This is decided to get a degree to how Scott Douthit, a teacher at my mother trying to and teach P.E. Charles Armstrong School, derock me to sleep after scribes what school is like for my principal told me kids who have differing learning abilities. I was retarded in 4th The first time I met Mr. grade.” Douthit (who is most commonly referred to as ‘Mr. D’), I noticed his Mr. D’s childhood was far theme in apparel. Decked out in Cal from normal. While his mother was gear, he told me the story of how he extremely supportive and accepting flunked out of Cal. He constantly of him, his father was not. During wears Cal clothing to remind him high school Mr. D struggled to of his lowest point, and how he can get good grades and felt that no always come back from hardships one fully understood him. Soon stronger than ever before. Mr D. enough, he discovered the is a teacher at Charles Armstrong acting program and School, a school for the dyslexic. He became fully engaged