Dylan, a dyslexic high school senior, hopes to attend a highly competitive university. In spite of his accomplishments in the arts, sports and academics, Dylan is a poor speller and slow reader. Will these limitations prevent him from getting into a top school? Allison, a dyslexic graduate student at Columbia University, reveals her lifelong desire to surpass the low expectations of others, borne from their misassumptions about learning disabilities. Skye, a bright dyslexic seventh-grader from Manhattan, confesses that dance competition is her "release valve" from the pressure to keep pace academically with her classmates. Sebastian, a ski-racing fifth-grader from Connecticut, helps us understand why providing dyslexics extra time on tests is not an unfair advantage: dyslexia takes time away from the student; special accommodation in test situations simply gives him or her the time back. Mothers of these young adults and children share intimate recollections and observations that suggest a sometimes painful irony: in spite of their clearly high levels of intelligence and creativity, these dyslexics struggle with activities that the rest of the population performs automatically. How can this be?
Directed by | James Redford |
Company | HBOHBOHBO |