'I’m Not Stupid, Just Dyslexic'

Josh Thibeau, 12, is struggling to attain his personal goal: to complete a single Harry Potter book. The sixth grader has been grappling with reading for as long as he can remember. It is not due to lack of smarts or motivation — Josh is dyslexic.

“There was a student that said, ‘Are you stupid?’ Because my brain was working in a different way,” Josh said. “And I’m just like, ‘No, I am not stupid…I’m just dyslexic.’ ”

In every U.S.classroom, on average, one or two students has dyslexia. The brain-based learning disability often runs in families and can make reading painfully difficult.

This week, Here & Now has a series of reports called “Brain Matters: Reporting from the Front Lines of Neuroscience” from contributor station WBUR.

Rachel Zimmerman has the story of new research that shows it’s possible to pick up some of the signs of dyslexia in the brain even before kids learn to read.

The findings may substantially influence how educators, parents, and professionals address the disorder.