Reading between the lines: living with a learning disability

By Tara Henley 

BOWMANVILLE – In many ways, Sarah Paton is just like any other eleven-year-old girl. She enjoys going on field trips, she argues with her big sister and she can’t wait to turn twelve.

But Sarah is not just like any other eleven-year-old girl. Unlike most people, she has a learning disability that affects the way she learns how to read and write.

Barb Paton, Sarah’s mother, said she first knew something was different about her daughter when Sarah was just in kindergarten. While other kids were getting used to the classroom routine, Sarah was having trouble following the everyday schedule.

“We knew she wasn’t picking up the routine, and at first we thought it was because we had never had her in any type of classroom setting,” Paton said. “But then we realized it was because Sarah is different.”

Sarah was diagnosed as Dyslexic at a young age. She said she tried to hide her learning disability from her friends as she grew older because she felt ashamed.

Everything changed for Sarah when she was accepted to Sagonaska school, one of three demonstration schools in Ontario. Demonstration schools are specifically designed for students with learning disabilities. Counsellors and teachers work one-on-one with Sarah and her classmates on subjects like reading and writing.

Since being at Sagonaska, Sarah has gone from reading at a first grade level to reading at the same level as most sixth graders.

Earlier this year, the Paton family said they were devastated to hear that the Minister of Education is closing the demonstration schools in Ontario due to a lack of funds.

“It was infuriating to hear that after finally finding a schooling system that works for Sarah, it’s going to be taken away,” said Paton.

Premiere Kathleen Wynne announced last Thursday at a rally in Queens Park that Sagonaska and other demonstration schools in the province will remain open until next year. She said she could not guarantee that the schools will remain open after then.