From Grade 5 Drop-Out to Master’s Degree

Any parent of a child with dyslexia can tell you that learning disabilities don’t make you stupid, slow, or dumb - yet that’s the language almost everyone used 1970s and ’80s when Eaton Arrowsmith School Founder, Howard Eaton was growing up with dyslexia.

In his book, Brain School, Eaton recounts how the combined academic and emotional stress surrounding his dyslexia drove him to drop out of school when he was just in grade 5.

I suffered emotionally. I was mercilessly teased as “the boy who couldn’t read.” Classmates would form a circle and dance around me, taunting in sing-song voices, “Howie can’t read.” I would fight back by picking the biggest boy and hitting him. A teacher always stopped us, but I usually suffered the brunt for trying to defend myself, after which I was sent to the principal’s office and then sent home. My parents were flummoxed.

I started wearing rebellious clothes: red trousers, wide belts, purple shirts, and offbeat shoes. My wild outfits were meant to bolster my ego, but as I reflect on it, things only worsened. I was teased and bullied by older students and often chased home, which fortunately was just three blocks from school. I became a fast runner.

I had classroom performance problems, but one in particular made me furious. After writing a list of short sentences on the blackboard, the teacher instructed us to copy them into our writing books. I would look at the board, then look down and copy the first sentence into my writing book. After that, I would look up again and write the next sentence; this went on for several sentences. Suddenly I would realize that I had written the same sentence repeatedly. In a rage, I would take my pencil and scribble all over my work, asking myself, “What’s wrong with me?” This was a recurring problem.

[…]

By Grade 5, the situation had become intolerable. My progress in reading was very slow due to the severity of my dyslexia. None of my usual tricks worked for reading aloud in class. My cues were gone: Grade 5 readers had almost no pictures. I was still receiving Orton-Gillingham tutoring in the janitor’s closet, and my classmates endlessly ridiculed me. School was a constant humiliation.

I clearly remember the day when I decided to drop out. I got home from school one day and approached my father, declaring, “Dad I’m quitting school. I hate it. I hate it so much that I think of jumping off the Lions Gate Bridge.” Ignoring me, he said, “Okay, but if you don’t finish school, what will you do when you are older?” I looked him squarely in the face and said, “I’m going to be a professional hockeplayer. They make a lot of money, don’t they?” Both of my parents listened to me, were empathetic, and with their permission I dropped out of Grade 5.

Eaton’s story demonstrates how far-reaching the challenges of a learning disability can be - but it also stands as a beacon of hope for others with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and ADHD. With the proper support - and a lot of persistent self-advocacy (not to mention a daring newspaper campaign in college) - Eaton went on to earn a 3.64 grade point average, his B. A. in Psychology, and his Master’s in Special Education.

Today, Eaton has made himself an advocate for all children with learning disabilities. Eaton Arrowsmith is specially designed to give children the kind of support, recognition, and positive social environments needed to hopefully avoid any more grade-5 dropouts.

Click here to learn more about Eaton Arrowsmith, the “brain school”! Enrollments are now open for January start dates (and some programs can start even sooner - please inquire for details).