“It made me feel very secluded and separated from everyone else because I was like, What’s wrong with me? Like, I’m like everyone else. So shouldn’t I be able to read and write as quick as them?” said Rory Andrlik.
Naperville’s Rory Andrlik’s journey with dyslexia
Rory Andrlik was diagnosed with dyslexia when she entered middle school. It’s something the Naperville North High School junior has been struggling with since she was a child. Her former tutor, Laurie Jurjovec, helped Rory work through her learning challenges.
“Dyslexia is actually contrary to, I think, what a lot of people believe. It’s a brain-based difference… It’s a different circuitry that’s kind of set up that actually has dyslexic learners using really kind of more of the right hemisphere of the brain versus the left, which is where the language is kind of reserved for. And so just kind of cracking that code and putting those pieces together is a little bit more difficult,” said Rory’s former tutor, Laurie Jurjovec.
The techniques helped, and in part, inspired Rory to write a book about her struggles and how she pushed through them. “The Reading Roar A Magical Learning Journey” follows the story of a dragon named Ember who has difficulties like Rory’s.
Rory writes her book: The Reading Roar A Magical Learning Journey
“I really love fantasy, and dragons were my favorite because they showed strength, courage, bravery…a lot of people think of a dragon as like this majestic creature that can do anything. But what if that dragon didn’t know how to read and write?” said Rory.
Rory’s dad, Todd, is an author himself, and says it was no surprise to see Rory writing her own book, as she’s always had a knack for storytelling.
“I remember writing my book, and…I was constantly kind of enamored by Rory and her storytelling, and she would come into my office, and she would tell these magical stories that could go on for, you know, tens of minutes at a time…So I always knew while writing my own book that one day she had a great story to tell,” said Todd.
The early reader book, geared for those aged 6 to 10, became a group effort.
“We’d review together in the living room, you know, or around the table, and we would go through and edits and revise, which, you know, is the writing process for everybody. But I think with Rory having this product, having this process with this definite product was really inspiring for her, and it was definitely inspiring for us as a family,” said Rory’s mother, Hillary.
Rory with her book inspires others with learning disabilities
Once Rory finished her book, she made a Spanish version as well, as she’d been practicing that language for over a decade.”Learning disabilities aren’t just in English. They’re in every language, so I wanted to reach out to as many people as I possibly could,” said Rory.
With her book and her effort, Rory hopes to be an example for others struggling with learning disabilities.
“I’m hoping it gives them another story to relate to, a way to build their own confidence and to know that they’re not alone and they never will be. There will always be someone there that’s going through the same thing, and there will always be someone there to help them,” said Rory.
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