Dyslexia can’t stop Daveed

DAVEED GITTENS did not jump for joy or run screaming like some of his fellow Luther Thorne Memorial students did.The island’s second highest performer in the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Exam stayed cool and calm, although he did break into a smile when principal Philip Roach showed him his results yesterday.Daveed, who is dyslexic, had to overcome his challenge to score 100 in maths and 96 in English.“I did better than I thought I would in English because I had to read a lot of the questions more than once to make sure I understood them. However, I expected to do well in maths,” he said.Daveed said he attended the Dyslexic Centre for two years and it helped him immensely as he used to come 17th in class before. He had some advice for other children with dyslexia.“Sometimes it can be difficult but don’t be discouraged. Through God you can do anything you set your mind to,” he said.Roach said there were  a lot more children like Daveed in schools with dyslexia but teachers  were not trained to deal with them, which was  why the Dyslexic Centre was so vital. (CA)