S3E9: The Frustrating Realities Inside the Fight for Equal Education Opportunities

Are you tired of feeling like the education system just isn't working for dyslexic students? Have you ever been told that there's plenty of support out there, only to find out that it's not true? The frustration and disappointment can be overwhelming. Let's dive into the real challenges faced by dyslexic students and explore why the current support system might not be as effective as it should be. Get ready to uncover the truth and find out how we can make a real difference for dyslexic students.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover effective accommodations for dyslexic students that can transform their learning experience.
• Explore the vital role of dyslexia support within education systems and its impact on student success.
• Uncover the critical importance of raising awareness about dyslexia in educational settings.
• Understand the unique challenges that dyslexic students face and how to provide effective assistance.
• Learn about the significant role that foundations play in supporting dyslexic students and driving positive change in education.

 Transcript:

00:00:02
Now I can't.

00:00:06
You're getting old. Do you need glasses? You can't drive at night. And the hearing aids are. Okay, we're going to start with this off and off and off.

00:00:16
Okay. Welcome back to wordpline. Dyslexia Exposed. This is Juliet Hahn here with my co host, Brent Sopal, who's young and vibrant and don't need glasses and hearing aids. Yeah, also, I think you're really.

00:00:33
I'm gonna say you're really hot. Your microphone's really hot. You need to turn it down. Now my mic's gotta get turned down. Holy.

00:00:41
Now I can hear too much. What? Adi. You can keep all of this in because this is kind of funny. So we just recorded for, like four minutes, and I was like, oh, my God.

00:00:52
Even though we Talked for, like 10 minutes before and I couldn't tell the difference. So just go to your I'm perfect system settings.

00:01:06
See, we usually do all of this before, and we didn't. And shame. Shame on me. Also, actually, my output was also all the way to the top. It was your.

00:01:24
Your output, not mine. It was actually mine. It was my right. So you're yelling at me. That actually was all me.

00:01:33
I totally apologize. But if you could hear how loud you were, I almost, like. I almost, like, popped an eardrum. Okay. So.

00:01:42
But it was actually. It was a great event. I end up getting a Christmas gift delivered. Wow. Yeah, it was.

00:01:53
You know, it came in, but I just. You hadn't connected with, you know, with the family, so they brought an amazing Christmas gift. My Heinz ketchup pump. Oh, that's what that was. Oh, my God.

00:02:03
That's so. Oh, my God. I love that. That is amazing. I was.

00:02:09
I didn't know if you guys, like, if the facility gave it to you, because that's like. No, no, Nikki, they ordered, came, it came. It took like eight weeks to get here. Came in, and then we just haven't connected. Right.

00:02:22
So they brought it, you know, and. Oh, that's amazing. Came in. Very excited about that. I was very excited to open it up and, you know, get it all set up on the counter.

00:02:32
And now I got my ketchup. Love that. I love that. Yeah, that's going to be that. It's going to be fun.

00:02:39
Journey to see how you keep that full. We had a conversation about that yesterday. We probably finish that one a month. Probably. Yeah.

00:02:49
Actually, let's keep us somewhere on social media if you guys don't follow the Sobel foundation for Dyslexia on IG or Brent's account. You can kind of be a part of that. Maybe that will have to be like a next fundraiser. Like the Ketchup Journey. Yeah.

00:03:08
I think this needs to be a story. The ketchup. This has its own story. Or the ketchup that grandma keeps in her purse everywhere we go.

00:03:19
I love that. I love that. That is. That's awesome. So I'm so glad that that was great.

00:03:23
And then this episode will probably go out right before March Day. Yes. You have. The SOPA foundation has a float. Yeah.

00:03:36
In Chicago, obviously everybody around the world knows that they. For St. Patrick's Day they dyed the river green. It's the. The 130, I believe is.

00:03:47
Is the plumber Plumbers union who. Who does it and puts on the parade. And obviously it's one of the biggest parade. Over a hundred thousand people on average, you know to that parade. So Garwood securities is, you know, a big sponsor of the event.

00:04:03
They donate donated US float. So had to design a float which didn't know that those existed. Didn't know there's companies that build floats existed out there. So yeah, we'll be in the St. Patrick's Day parade.

00:04:24
It's the first time I've been in parades, but not my. Not on our own float and didn't know what I was doing. And we're trying to figure it out. But it'll be fun now we'll just. We'll see what mother Nature does and the weather wise as it can to be cold.

00:04:39
Is it going to be nice? Is it going to be raining? You know, it's. It's March 15th in Chicago, so it could be 80, it could be 30 and snowing could be 20. Who know.

00:04:50
You know. And it's televised so people can. They can tune in. Yeah. Yeah.

00:04:53
I mean I think you have to look in here. I think it's abc. Yeah. So it's obviously it's a huge event. Yeah.

00:05:00
People come around. St. Patrick Day is. It's huge here in. In Illinois.

00:05:05
So it's obviously found out a little bit of history with how they learned how to dye the dye. The river was actually for underground underwater plumbing. So for piping they put this through and it would leak out where you know where it leak. You'd know where the holes are. Oh, okay.

00:05:30
So that's how they end up, you know. And then I think they just kind of expanded it to. To drop to river green. But that's. That's how.

00:05:37
Because I asked like when we were there the one at that. I'm like, where did this come from? Yeah, so that's. That's your curious mind. Hang on.

00:05:47
Oh, off. Yes, it is. Who wants. Who drops a green slime in. In the river or whatever?

00:05:53
You know, I didn't know what it was. Slime. I didn't know what. What it was. If it was hazardous, I.

00:05:57
Yeah, right. Chicago river, probably hazardous. There's a lot of things going on there. But that makes sense. And I love that.

00:06:04
I love that little history there. Those are like fun facts. Yeah. So, you know, I, like, watch. You know, I'll do some electrical.

00:06:12
Being a farmer, I electrocute myself. But me and plumbing don't get along because I don't fit in small spaces right under sinks. That's actually really funny. That's a funny. That's a funny thought, seeing you get stuck under a sink.

00:06:28
Yeah, real, real funny.

00:06:32
Okay. And then May. There's another event. And then again, so May, we're just putting dot IN the eyes and crossing the T's on the. That event.

00:06:42
Once we have that. Yeah. So that taken care of, we'll. We'll fully release what. You know, what that is.

00:06:47
And September will be, you know, be the golf event. So 2025 has been good. You know, weather was great yesterday. So here we go. Because today's episode will be Almost Juliet on.

00:07:03
No, it's not.

00:07:07
Listen, it's not my kid. No, I know. But here's also. This is actually. It's always funny when I always feel like there's.

00:07:15
There's stuff when you're like, oh, let's talk about this. Because you're like, let's take it away from me and put it on you where it's supposed to go, you know? I know, I know. Because I couldn't, you know, I want to, you know, once I get the details of the May event completed, I don't want to put things out there yet till totally. Until it's 100 all together.

00:07:38
No, but I. The reason why I wanted you to touch on it, even though I know you're like, what? Is because I want to show the growth. Also the growth. We just hit 75 episodes.

00:07:50
The SOPO Foundation. I mean, you had started off with one event. Last year, you had two events. You've already started the year with another event going into March with, you know, another. Even though it's just another thing.

00:08:03
There's just so much growth that's happening with the foundation, and it's amazing. But then watch this. Ready? Oh, here we go. Yeah, it's amazing.

00:08:14
But then we get into the the weeds with certain things. And it just shows how more amazing and amazing we need to be to be able to get financially where we need the foundation so then we can start blowing things up and not just making change, not just talking about it where we can take the action. And every day we hear situations. Every freaking day. So I'm thinking about how to set this up the best without.

00:08:45
Because I don't know that we can. You know what I'm talking about? Yeah. So. Okay.

00:08:49
I know exactly. Okay. I feel like, you know. No, you know, it's. You know, so we talk about.

00:08:55
People always talk about. Gil, Dyslexia has come so far, you know, and there's so much out there for it. And when I say this and you know, you know, and I'll lead this is. We are one of the 98 to 99 of the charity foundations in the world are ran by non dyslexics. And I'll wrap up.

00:09:28
Wrap it, you know, really into to what we're discussing here today. So people always say, oh, there's so much out there. There really isn't.

00:09:41
There's the stuff that is out there now is some of it's wrong because it's not by dyslexics. It's some of it's by doctors. Yo. Scientists who have an ego bigger than some richest people in the world. You know, and they're the one that's putting the information out there.

00:10:13
And it's quarter rights. It's quarter information. And, you know, you know, we had, you know, an episode or a scenario come to us, you know, last week where there's a college here in the US that, you know, has a division that helps out dyslexics and kids with learning disorders. And the lady that leads that area is almost like a guidance counselor and goes to each teacher with the kids and say, this is what the recommend or their accommodations are. They need X, Y and Z.

00:10:56
And they had one teacher who's professor and I believe a doctor. Lawyer. Oh, it's lawyer. I'm sorry. And she will only do the accommodations to her way on her time.

00:11:17
And that's it. And this happens all the time. It happened with my own daughter. Yo. And this is something that happens every single day in the education system.

00:11:31
Okay.

00:11:35
And this is why dyslexia is broken. You know, she's trying to do her. The accommodations the way she wants it or on her terms. On her terms. Or you go to a superintendent or you go any school district, you'll.

00:11:52
We'll get into this a little bit. You know, right now, there's. There's this groups of people that are trying, you know, they're. Some states are being. And trying to eliminate the 504.

00:12:05
So we talk about the. The IEP and the 504, you know, all the time on here. And they're trying to eliminate. Which they shouldn't eliminate, which I support getting them back in here. But there's a piece to this that they don't talk about, they never touch is some states don't even recognize the word dyslexia.

00:12:26
So where my long and short is that they all want to be at 10, but we need to be at 1. And these teachers, professors, lawyers, doctors, scientists, always, always, always think they're right.

00:12:46
And it has to be done their way. And they know best you don't have it. And that's the broken portion of this world. The dyslexia world, the accommodations world, IP learnings, you know, learning disorders world. And nobody listens.

00:13:18
They always tell.

00:13:22
And the anger, the hurt, the disappointment that comes along with that. Four, the student who. These end up being lifetime scars for the parents, it's almost. It's all it ends up being. Almost can be a double whammy because some parents always.

00:13:52
And how many times we've heard this, I just thought, you know, the school knew what they were doing. I believed in the school. I believed in the school, or, you know, I believed in this teacher. I believed in this. And then to find out they weren't doing it and then get told that they're wrong or the wrong information or the wrong way to go about doing things, it's.

00:14:17
It's hard. Mm. It's scars. I'm a prime example of it. And to watch, you know, watch it go up, watch go on, and, you know, make our event yesterday, we had so many dyslexic parents that were.

00:14:32
Our kids were there. And just to see their. Their smiles on their faces, People don't know what that is. Some of us, when it comes to a school setting, have never had a smile on our face.

00:14:49
Yep. And so, surprise, surprise. I have a lot to say.

00:14:56
I'm just gonna kick back, relax now.

00:15:03
Let me see. Okay, so I'm going to start with yes. And the thing that is when we were talking to this individual about it, one of the things is this. The particular student has confidence and knows how to advocate for themselves and was like, this isn't right. I'm not.

00:15:25
I'm not going to put up with this. And left the classroom Respectfully. We did find out later that they said if it was a couple years before, they maybe weren't. Wouldn't have been so respectfully respectful. But the professor was nice and they just knew, I'm sorry, this is not right and I'm not doing it.

00:15:48
Now. That is the tiniest population of people that would do it. Normally they would just take a deep breath, swallow, and sit down and feel. Now, this individual felt because they were so frustrated and like, okay, what does this mean? And all these different things.

00:16:05
But because of the atmosphere and the understanding from the person that's running the dyslexic program and the support, they were like, okay, I, I feel okay, because there was understanding there, right? If. If this was a school that didn't have a dyslexic understanding, a supports, you know, place, even if that child had the wherewithal to stand up for themselves, where does that, that student go? Right? They're now kind of by themselves unless they have parents.

00:16:37
You know, you stepped in and helped your daughter. You know, there's the different things that they didn't have parents. So this is again left on that individual who was just made to feel badly about their accommodations, were made to feel shit about that. They learn different. They're just trying to get a college education, which isn't easy.

00:16:54
They're really not even really wanting to be there, but they have other goals. So they're like, okay, I'm doing this. If they didn't have that understanding from others, that could have been a very detrimental situation. And meaning detrimental, like it could do. You don't know where the person is, mental health wise.

00:17:14
You don't know their circumstances. And just something slightly that this professor wasn't following the law and actually is an attorney. So let's like, you know, thought that they actually were. Whether they thought they were smarter, whether they thought, nope, you know, there's a. There's a loophole.

00:17:32
There's something here. It. Regardless, this child was trying to take their test in the accommodations that they were. And I don't want to say owed, because that's. I don't like that word, but that they were, you know, you know, that they were diagnosed and given to.

00:17:46
And someone was saying if this child did not have that, that, that could have been a situation where really bad things could have happened. Combinations for, you know, for individuals like us are just to level the playing field, right? So right now, I know I always go the normies, right? You guys are on, let's just say floor two. We're on lobby.

00:18:17
So we're two floors behind you when it comes to starting the day. But our intelligence might be right there with you or above, so didn't need to throw that out there. I'm sorry. Because it's, you know, it's got nothing to do with any of that. Well, now I'm a little angry.

00:18:40
So our accommodation, if that's extra time or taking a test in a separate room or whatever that is, that's just putting us on floor too. Because they were getting the test read to them. Yeah. Okay. No, so.

00:18:54
So everybody's like, oh, that they're getting an advantage. No, no, no. We're down in the lobby. You were just trying to get to floor two, where you guys live. Yep.

00:19:04
I love that. You know, so it's. And somebody like myself, I'm in the basement. And why am I in the basement is because I have dysgraphia. I have dyscalculia.

00:19:15
I have. You know when you talk about the five Ds. Yeah. Some kids only have one. So let's set this up.

00:19:22
As you know, myself, so if we're on level two is just the normie floor radio. You know, I got four out of the five deciseconds. So basically, I'm in parking level three in the basement. Right. So I'm trying to get, you know, two extra, you know, it's extra time on my test would give me, you know, up to level two.

00:19:45
Yo. Taking the test in a separate, you know, get to level one. Right. Now somebody reading the test to me, you know, maybe I'm. Now I'm on the lobby floor.

00:19:54
Right. You know, so. Yeah, I love this. This is actually really, really. And not, you know, picture.

00:20:01
Right. You know, and, you know, dysgraphia. Like some teachers, you know, kids can't take notes. So maybe giving the notes before class gets me down to. To floor one.

00:20:11
So I'm still one floor behind, you know, a kid without learning disorder. So it's. We're not starting on two. Going all the way up to now. We're on level five, and you guys are too.

00:20:24
We're just trying to get to a normal, you know, a level playing field when it comes to this. So back to, you know, back to a comment of. It's got nothing to do with intelligence. You know. You know, even there on the, you know, even them being on level two, I'm not worried about their intelligence.

00:20:43
Right. What, What. You know, this is where they start their day. So we're just trying to level that out. So for People who think, yo, we, this helps us, you know, we're ahead of this person.

00:20:56
Or no, we're just trying to get to the same playing field for every kid. Every kid deserves to be on that playing field. No matter who you are, no matter where, where you're from, where you're born, what color you are, if you're white or you're brown or you're black or you're what religion, we all deserve to be on that same floor. And what we talk about daily here on the, on the podcast, and we're just trying to find ways to get the kids to that floor. You know, now you think of every 4D out there.

00:21:33
I'm four floors behind. Yeah, yeah. And, and I love how you painted that because that really gives a description for someone to understand it. And so. Right.

00:21:45
This kid was like, I just, I'm not going to take the class, the test here. Right. They. They have more of the, they have four of the five deciseconds as well. Yeah, they're on the same floors, same floor as me.

00:21:58
Right. And so it is like. But the fact that they are. Was like, you know, the fact that they were able to. In another college situation, this would have been very different.

00:22:08
You know, it would have been the parents, it would have been, you know, someone else, or it would have been not even spoken about. And it would have been a class that you just got extra scars and had to work extra hard because that is the thing that we are always doing. And that, again, is not talked about or people acknowledge because it's like, oh, well, they get good grades even though they have this. So it can't be that bad, right? It's not that bad if they're, you know, getting a B in a class, but you don't know if they're staying up until, you know, 3:00 in the morning to get that B.

00:22:41
Like, there's so many things behind it, but it also is just, even with understanding at an, at a college level, there's still people that don't have the understanding that still make things difficult. And it's, it's why there needs to be places like the foundation to be able to build these things up so more people understand and have the understanding giving us the platform to be able to talk more. When you were talking about the. So a couple things with the IEP and the 504. So if you look, if you Google what states do not recognize dyslexia, it says all 50 states recognize dyslexia.

00:23:24
And I know For a fact, they don't. So I'm like, okay, that is incorrect. And then it says according to idea. So idea. Not.

00:23:34
Not international Dyslexia. Not. Not idea. No, this is. I'm sorry, this is the independent education system.

00:23:46
Yeah, Disability. The Disabilities Act. Like the disability coming from the. So this is coming from the government, so. Right.

00:23:53
So not to be. I don't like either of them. I wanted to provide. I don't like either of them. But one of the things in the Disabilities act, it says that each state recognizes it, but then they say they recognize it under there.

00:24:12
No, they recognize it under. And how was the wording? Because, like, every time I pulled it up, I got more angry and more angry, and then I had to stop it. And I have my mom now looking into it. I was like, hey, can you.

00:24:23
Can you. I have a little project for you. So it is under the specified learning disability. So they're like, yes, it's recognized under the specialified Learning Disability Act. But they can't put that into.

00:24:42
They can't put that into your IEP unless the parent fights like crazy. There is like a loophole that you can be like, I want it in the. In like the description. But as your diagnosis, it can't say. So it.

00:24:58
It actually is almost like. And I can't even think of the. The term, but it's like a bait and a bait and switch kind of. It's like, oh, you can use it. Oh, but you can't say it, but, oh, you can do it here.

00:25:08
So it makes it. They make it so fucking confusing that most people won't. And. And then you give up. Cause you're like, okay, I can't find the information now.

00:25:17
Now we'll, you know, kind of. Kind of explain for listeners what that. You know what that is. So it's being diagnosed with dyslexia or diagnosed with a learning difference. And schools can't diagnose you with dyslexia.

00:25:33
A doctor has to. And neuropsychologist. Go ahead. Sorry. And so if you know dyslexia, let's just say there's two ways to help a dyslexic.

00:25:43
And then, you know, you know something with a learning difference. There's 15 different ways. So now they get to pick from 15 different ways to help a kid. They're gonna find what's easier, what's cheaper than the other two. So that.

00:26:04
That. That is the difference. While the 15 ways, it's cheaper, yo, it's quicker, and it doesn't help a Lot of the kids, because there's only supposed to be two ways. Now they're making up another extra 13 ways. So, you know, just for listeners to have an understanding, what, you know, what that actually means is basically it' way to find.

00:26:29
Pretend they're doing it quicker and cheaper than actually doing it. Right. And. And it. So it's.

00:26:37
It is so absolutely complex. Yeah. And it really doesn't have to be. That's. That's the thing.

00:26:46
And this is what we were. There's a complexity to it. I was talking about this with some of my colleagues that there's certain groups, I won't say, say names that make things harder for no reason. They complicate things. I know.

00:27:02
You're. Go ahead. No, for a reason. Because it becomes money, right? Yes.

00:27:10
But I think there are also brains that just complicate things because they just.

00:27:16
But yes, when it comes to specifics, yes, they do it for money 100%. You know, they complicate it because they don't have it. Right. Yes. That comes down.

00:27:30
You know, that's why it gets complicated because there's somebody telling me, you know, it's like me going and buying a $10 million company of anything, you know, a woman's clothing line. Let's do that. You know, and being the CEO and running it. I don't know anything about a woman's clothes. They're ran a closing line.

00:27:58
I'm not a woman. Like, there's. There's a whole lot. And that's basically what these non dyslexics are doing for us. Tossing.

00:28:08
Yeah, ladies, these tampons are the best. I use them all. I know we're not in Canada. Right. So how can I run it?

00:28:16
You know, it's, there's. And there is a very little science out there because, you know, what do they say? You know, we only need know like 10 of the capacity of a brain. Yeah. So, you know, I don't know if that's right.

00:28:35
You know, that's what I've heard. You know, you know, 10, 15. Okay. There's still 90% of a brain we don't even know. And that's why our dyslexia is.

00:28:43
Is the way our brain is wired. So how can you tell me. So tell me how that makes sense. There's no human on God's green earth that's going to drop $10 million into a company that they have no understanding about, that they don't know what it is. They don't know what the product is.

00:28:58
You know, you've got people that, you know, invest. That's why you see a lot of individuals, they invest in the same area because that's their expertise. Right. Women's clothes isn't my expertise. Right.

00:29:13
Yo, having a baby is it my expertise? Been there, deliver one. But there's a whole lot of things up to that I didn't know. So, you know, flip it in the dyslexic world.

00:29:27
Yeah, well, and it is it, if you think about it, because I'm also talking about people that love to study and love to study things. Brains, all these things. They learn things out of a book. Doctors, they learn things out of a book. Right.

00:29:43
So you go to the doctor and they're like, okay, you have these symptoms. So this is the course of action. And there's not a lot of outside thinking because it's like, well, this is how my brain works. And there's nothing wrong that. I'm not saying there's anything against that kind of brain, but it's.

00:29:59
A lot of times this is. And that's not how we work as human beings. Like, we're complex. It's not just like, okay, X, Y and Z happen so now, or A, B and C happen so then this, like, it doesn't work that way. There's other circumstances that can be brought.

00:30:12
And a lot of times those outside things are not thought about. Agreed. No, I agree. You know, you've heard me say this on this on the podcast 9. A lot of us don't know there's a second way to think.

00:30:29
Right. You know, and injury wise, you know, we, we discuss this. How many people I've helped, you know, for injuries, I'm sure not a doctor. My eighth grade education doesn't put a doctor in front of my name. So many injuries to me that I'm able to help them.

00:30:56
Right, because you've had life experiences. There's, you know, there's a difference between. That's why how many doctors don't have bedside manners. They've never been in the bed. Right.

00:31:09
Now let's transition into why we're. What we're talking about right now. There's dyslexia. They don't have bedside manners because they've never had dyslexia. But that's telling us what we need to do and how we need to do it.

00:31:26
And what that means makes no sense. And that's where the biggest misconception, understanding in the world and they get angry is when they get pushed back at people like me who go after them and then they get all, no, I know best. You don't have it.

00:31:53
So it's, you know, we're all complex, but this doesn't need to be this complex. Yep. I think we're going to leave it at that. I think that that is perfect. Gives you things to think about.

00:32:17
And as I said on the last couple, I do want to start bringing people back, and let's see if I can get it. The Sobel foundation is a 501C3. Nice. I pictured it from something that I read, and I was like, oh, I got to see that C. Yeah.

00:32:35
And so donating, even if it's a couple dollars, like, if you're, you know, every month, there's people that are like, oh, I. I saw this on Instagram. I did this. So I donated. We are helping people behind the scenes all the time.

00:32:48
So your money is being put to really good use. It's. We just don't sit there and advertise it on social media all the time. What Brent does every single day is really, I mean, is connecting and helping kids that you've seen on our social media, talking in front of people. Those were kids that literally couldn't even make eye contact.

00:33:07
They were so insecure because they didn't had and no one understood them. And Brent literally changed them around with the work that he does with families and, and. And not only that, there's so many other things that we have in the pipeworks that we're working on. And so if you're like, okay, I. I want, you know, I want to give.

00:33:25
I have some money this month I put away to give to a foundation. Again, it is a 501C3. I think about that every time. Put it right here. Yeah, I know, right?

00:33:37
Yeah. Right? It's Char. You know, it's Cher charitable. Yep.

00:33:41
[email protected] you guys can go. You can. Also on Instagram, there's also a Venmo Sople Foundation. Is that. Or is that Brent?

00:33:52
Is it Brent? Yep. On there. And there's so many things that we're doing as we touched upon that we don't talk about every day, because they're in the works and they're being built. So it's.

00:34:06
It's being. No one's going to buy a Mercedes. Things are just buy one anyways. They just are doing really amazing things. So thank you guys for listening.

00:34:19
Do you want to add something? Nope. Okay. Like, rate, review, do your favorite line. Share, share, share.

00:34:26
Because you don't know who needs to hear this. You don't know who has listened to the podcast or hasn't listened to the podcast, but sometimes when you hear things over and over again in different scenarios, it all of a sudden clicks and you're like, holy fuck. Oh my God, I understand now. Or I have understanding. Or this is.

00:34:42
Oh, wait, okay, you know, I get it. So share and we will see you for another episode of Word Blindness. Dyslexia Exposed.