Discussion Questions
1. What are some striking similarities and differences between Eileen’s and Abe’s (Brilliant Idiot) experiences with dyslexia? Which book did you prefer?
2. How might a student like Eileen be treated if she were a fourth grader today?
3. Does Eileen’s dyslexia impact her writing style at all? Why do you think that?
Written Responses
1. Something that struck me about Eileen’s story is that when she really, really wanted to, she tried to learn to read. She worked past the struggle of dyslexia to be able to read, sometimes to the detriment of her other studies. Eventually, she came to love reading, which was somewhat surprising to me. Despite all the struggles and emotional baggage that came with reading, she chose to do it anyway, which is a remarkable show of tenacity. I also found it…show more content… Reversals is the story of Eileen (formerly Mulligan) Simpson, an author and clinical psychologist, and her battle with dyslexia. Beginning in the fourth grade, Eileen chronicles her school journey, including her teachers’ relationships with her and Eileen’s relationship with books and reading. Eileen describes the symptoms she had of dyslexia and what she did and still does to cope with them. Her coping strategies took many years to get right, and the development of these strategies is evident throughout the memoir. After many, many years of struggle, Eileen comes to the point where she is what most would consider a reader: she reads voraciously (albeit slowly) and quite enjoys it. However, the ghosts of school years past continue to haunt her throughout adulthood, and it is not until a few years after she goes to grad school to become a clinical psychologist that she finally feels like she has beaten dyslexia. This is not to say that she does not have symptoms anymore or that she can read as well as a person without dyslexia; Eileen most definitely has good and bad days. However, her “cure” is what keeps her going and allows her to have so many good