The doctor’s words should not have come as surprise when I heard them a few weeks ago.

“Dyslexia is the diagnosis,” she said from her behind desk.

Even before the interviews and the tests, I could have told the doctor my son was having a hard time reading. As she flipped through the charts and figures, I went through a mental list of all the members of my family who struggled with various learning disabilities, including dyslexia. I even recalled times in my schooling, when I, too, had a hard time learning.

Letters transposed — check. Words written backwards — check. Irregular handwriting — yep. All the classic signs were there, the doctor said about my son.

What came as a surprise wasn’t so much the diagnosis as it was what came out of the doctor’s mouth next.

“The State of Mississippi doesn’t recognize dyslexia, and, as far as we know, there isn’t a certified dyslexia therapist in your area of the state,” she said.

One in five people suffer from dyslexia. It is the most common learning disability. Yet, because the state does not recognize the condition, schools do little to address it, the doctor said.

Having lived in Natchez for a little more than 16 years, I have come to realize that this corner of the state comes with challenges. As much as I love living and raising a family in this small town along the Mississippi River, there are things Natchez just doesn’t offer that residents in Jackson, Oxford and the Gulf Coast take for granted.

Most of the items on my “Natchez doesn’t have” list are only mild annoyances. Natchez doesn’t have a large movie theater with a variety of choices. Natchez doesn’t have a Chick-fil-A or a McAllister’s Deli. The town doesn’t have the variety of cultural activities other bigger cities have.

Living without such things has little impact on my family and is outweighed by the advantages of small-town living.

A recent study of population movements in the United States by the University of Wisconsin shows that rural Mississippi has been hit particularly hard by people moving out of counties like Adams County to areas of the state like Madison County, Lamar County and Desoto County that are closer to urban centers like Jackson, Memphis and New Orleans.

The supposition is that rural areas do not offer the professional and cultural opportunities that urban areas offer. Rural areas offer the basics and little more.

Food, shelter and clothing may be the necessities in life, but I want more for my son, including equipping him with the tools that will help him more than survive. I want him to excel and reach his potential. As a father, giving my son the tools he needs to succeed in life are a priority.

Unfortunately, when it comes to something as common as teaching dyslexic children how to read, the services are hard to come by in rural Mississippi. Public and private schools do not have programs available. Services from certified dyslexic therapists may be an hour or more away.

Parents of dyslexic children who want to stay in Natchez and similar small towns are forced to struggle with their children or move away in order to give their children what they need to succeed.

For local families struggling with dyslexia, assistance may just be a move across the river away. Thankfully, Louisiana recognizes dyslexia, and the state’s public schools offers programs to help children with the learning disability.

Even still it is a move and just one example of how rural Mississippi struggles to keep people from moving away.

 

Ben Hillyer is the news editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3540 or by email at ben.hillyer@natchezdemocrat.com.