In my research, I often come across names of famous people who had a slow start, or struggled with learning difficulties in their childhoods. The list continues to grow, and I am impressed with how individuals, when given the right support and encouragement, can overcome the odds and achieve greatness. If your child is having difficulties in school or with aspects of learning, be sure to share this list. Let your son or daughter know he or she is not alone, and that early struggles are in no way a prophecy of doom. Maybe he can find a particular name that interests him, and you can do a little research on that person’s story.
Note: Some individuals on this list were not technically diagnosed with a learning disability, because they lived during an era where the specific diagnoses didn’t exist. However, their struggles with education in their early years were clearly documented.
The LIST:
- Hans Christian Anderson
- Beethoven
- Harry Belafonte
- Alexander Graham Bell
- Orlando Bloom
- Richard Branson
- Erin Brockovich
- Stephen J. Cannell
- Cher
- Winston Churchill
- Bill Cosby
- Tom Cruise
- Leonardo Da Vinci
- Walt Disney
- Thomas Edison
- Albert Einstein
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Malcom Forbes
- Henry Ford
- Galileo
- Danny Glover
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Salma Hayek
- Tommy Hilfiger
- Bruce Jenner
- Magic Johnson
- John F. Kennedy
- Kiera Knightley
- John Lennon
- Jay Leno
- Carl Lewis
- Greg Louganis
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Edward James Olmos
- Pablo Picasso
- Nelson Rockefeller
- Pete Rose
- Nolan Ryan
- Charles Schwab
- George C. Scott
- George Bernard Shaw
- Steven Spielberg
- Sylvester Stallone
- Jackie Stewart
- Quentin Tarantino
- Jules Verne
- Lindsay Wagner
- Henry Winkler
- Robin Williams
- Woodrow Wilson
Fred Rogers of “Mr. Rogers Neighbhorhood” was not only a friendly face on television for children everywhere, but was also a great advocate for kids with all kinds of challenges. He once said,
“No child is ‘perfectly’ whole in mind, body, spirit, ability… nor can any child meet all of a parent’s hopes and expectations. Yet there is a wholeness of each and every child, a wholeness that is unique and brings with it a unique set of possibilities and limitations, a unique set of opportunities for fulfillment.”
Have high hopes for your child, don’t give up, and allow him or her to be his own unique person.