Author: Stefanie Ricchio CPA
As a parent of a child with a learning disability or as someone ourselves who has been diagnosed, what is our greatest fear? I’d say a combination of worry over academic and career success and access to opportunity.
Stigmas surrounding dyslexia and other learning disabilities have lessened over the years but still exist today. The key to overcoming the fears is to not subscribe to the stigmas ourselves and to believe in our extraordinary ability instead and look for ways to build confidence and find opportunities. How do we do that?
I was fortunate enough to speak with Kevin O’Leary, entrepreneur, venture capitalist and television host, about his journey through academia and his career with dyslexia. He shared valuable insights on what we can do to reframe our mindset and seek the positives and build a strong foundation where success is possible.
Our conversation started with a statement of gratitude by Kevin to his mother for her persistence and commitment to finding groundbreaking resources for him as a child in elementary school. As a mother, I can’t begin to explain how it touched me to know that perhaps one day my child will understand how hard I worked to support his journey to ensure he always feels like he is as capable as anyone.
Without confidence, the journey is long and hard
The foundation of Kevin’s success is confidence, but how do you become confident when you’re told you can’t read, write or do math like the next person? For Kevin, it was his enrolment and participation in early special education therapy in Montreal under the study of Marjorie Golick. This experimental treatment, far ahead of its time in the 1960s, was instrumental in Kevin’s success and he fully acknowledges how it changed his mindset and perspective on having dyslexia. He wasn’t a child who couldn’t read, write or do math. He realized he was an extraordinary child with unique skills, reading a book while hanging upside? If that isn’t special, I don’t know what is. Through this program, Kevin’s confidence continued to grow and with his mother and Marjorie alongside they continued to ensure that he was inspired and felt the wins and successes. Reframing a child’s mindset boils down to language, opportunity and the rooms and boxes we put them in. If we find ways to build confidence and feel the wins, a child will become confident. If we try to keep a child in a setting where they are uninspired and failing, for lack of better words, they are less likely to have those moments of winning. Children need to feel the wins so they can grow into adults who believe in themselves because they have already felt the joy of success.
Finding your superpowers
I proposed to Kevin that instinctively parents equate success with education, degrees and accreditations. He agreed that this isn’t always the most supportive approach to take. Kevin earned a degree and an MBA, he followed an academic path where he could find success. Some of his strongest subjects? History and film, so much so that he was able to get film funded by his university. Note, that he did not pursue a career as a historian or in film. In a cathartic turn of events, he found his early success in educational software. Why is this important? He realized where he could find success in academia, made it through and earned the degrees. Inspiring and building confidence.
This is what we need to support our children in figuring out. Language is not your strong suit? No problem, expose your child to media, computers and the arts and see where they have natural inclinations and skills then give them access and opportunity to harness those strengths. Forcing a child into a box, of mathematics and language, and forcing them to spend each day struggling will never bolster or increase their confidence. Find the balance between what they can do well and excel in while working on the fundamentals.
Focus on today, tomorrow is evolving and so will your child
In his own companies, Kevin has adopted, due to the pandemic, a project-based style of work. Working 9-5 is not the measure of success or being great at your job. It’s your ability to finish the projects that are yours to complete. This is where emphasis on building executive functioning skills is important. The pandemic is creating this shift in the workplace across many industries, which creates a tremendous opportunity for individuals who may have previously struggled in 9-5 settings. I wouldn’t get overly hung up on this concern over the workplace, it is ever-evolving and becoming more fluid and in favour of those who don’t flourish in traditional settings.
Today, Kevin says dyslexia does not affect his life as it did early on. As we age our minds improve and we learn to shift and focus time and attention where we excel. Dyslexia does not have to be a burden your child will carry for the rest of their lives, mindset.
This is an excerpt from Kevin’s book “Cold Hard Truth” with principles that you can share with your child as well as to ensure they become their own advocates.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that enrolling in special education changed my life completely. To be told that my dyslexia had an upside shifted my perspective on myself and the world around me, and it left me with five very important principles that carried me through the rest of my education, all the way to my MBA and into my business life.
1. Stick it out through difficulties. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to finish.
2. Stand up for yourself.
3. Explain what you need, clearly.
4. Ask questions.
5. If you don’t understand the answer, ask for a better, clearer explanation.
Margie gave me this list, reminding me again and again that no one else would do these things for me. I had to do them for myself.”
I asked Kevin if he wished he had never been diagnosed and without a second of hesitation, he said absolutely not. The diagnosis played a pivotal role in his journey and he wouldn’t change a thing.
Remind your child every day that they are capable, they are not learning disabled they are extraordinarily abled.
About Kevin O’Leary
Learn about Kevin O’Leary by visiting his website.
Follow Kevin O’Leary on social media
Instagram: @kevinolearytv
Linkedin: Kevin O'Leary | LinkedIn
About the author
Stefanie is a CPA, CGA is a published author, professor and entrepreneur focused on providing business consulting that supports the modernization of accounting for businesses through the implementation of tools, resources and training programs to support change management and increasing efficiency. Stefanie is an advocate for education from elementary through post-secondary, working on initiatives to elevate the learning experience and to advocate for the needs of all students.
Follow Stefanie on social media
Instagram: @themodernaccountant