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The Language Maven:
Interview with Rebecca Bush
By Carin Chea
It is estimated that approximately 5% to 10% of all people worldwide have varying degrees of dyslexia. While a diagnosis is challenging enough, it can be especially harrowing for parents of children who are newly diagnosed.
Thankfully, Rebecca Bush, an accomplished educator and preeminent authority on this subject, has made it her mission to lessen the weight of anxiety and uncertainty attached to dyslexia.
With decades of experience and a passion for educating and uplifting, Rebecca is the individual to turn to for dyslexia education.
Warm and compassionate by nature, Rebecca’s forte is replacing worry and stigma with strength and empowerment.
With her upcoming book, Dyslexia and Your Newly Diagnosed Child, Rebecca’s preeminent knowledge is even more accessible.
With a quiet confidence backed by an acute understanding of education and academic language, we are fortunate this maven is able to share her expertise with the world.
You seem like a natural educator at heart. How did you get into this field?
In my professional life, yes, I’ve been doing this for a while. But when I was in college, I worked in the music industry. It was behind the scenes, doing things like production and sound engineering.
But, as I got closer to graduating, I stumbled into teaching. I started with a non-profit in Honduras working with kids in poverty whose families knew education was their path to success.
I lived there for two years in the jungles of Honduras.
What? That’s amazing!
Looking back, I can’t believe I lived in the jungles of Honduras for two years. Of course, things were different back then, politically speaking.
But seeing how education could change lives, that’s what changed my life. I realized teaching was what I wanted to do. I was good at it and I loved it.
Before that, was there an instance in college where you decided to change courses?
My majors were Art, Spanish, and Portuguese. I had a double major. The Spanish piece is what led me to Honduras. I was looking for opportunities abroad, and it happened to be teaching.
As I got closer to graduation, I didn’t want to stay in the music industry anymore. You know, there are very, very few people in education who are toxic.
As soon as I got into education, everyone seemed to have the same mission of helping kids. It makes us all easy to work with for the most part.
What inspired you specifically to focus on the area of dyslexia?
I was a classroom teacher for eight years. I mostly got lower elementary ages and I kept getting kids who were struggling.
I started my first Master’s in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama. While that was helpful, I felt it wasn’t enough.
So, I started a second Master’s in Advanced Literary from Concordia University. I’m a Certified Reading Specialist here in Texas.
I really admire your passion and dedication. I can see why your practice and services are thriving.
Well, with these tools, I thought I could actually help these kids. But, I remember this instance that sticks out in my mind.
I was working with a 7-year-old girl doing all the things I’d been taught to do, and she had tears rimming in her eyes because she still couldn’t read the words in front of her that she was “supposed” to be able to read. That hit me hard.
That’s when I started another program called The Dyslexia Specialist Preparation Program that trains individuals to the highest levels, which means I’m a Certified Academic Therapist. Some states like Texas call us Licensed Dyslexia Therapists.
I am incredibly knowledgeable in anything with academic language, which includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In other words, it’s the language that’s required to be successful in school.
The thing is, when you have a diagnosis of dyslexia, it never comes by itself. There’s always something else going on. Anxiety, for example, is very common.
If you have to go to school every day knowing you have to do something that’s very hard, of course the anxiety will be there.
There was another little girl I had in my private practice once. She was eight. She had all sorts of different diagnoses. She was one of the most complicated cases I’d ever come across.
But, her mom was a fighter. She would not take no for an answer. She did everything she possibly could to support this little girl.
One of the teachers I’d worked with in Brazil was the head of a top-ranked middle school in Israel, where this little girl was applying. He recognized my name from the report, and he reached out and re-connected with me.
Seeing the impact that I was able to have in changing this student and family’s life was very meaningful.
Years later, this family is about to get into a top middle school in this city they’re in. That shows you that the right support at the right time can make a big difference.
Tell us about your book Dyslexia and Your Newly Diagnosed Child: Techniques, Tips and Strategies to Help Your Child Thrive.
It’s a crazy story. I’ve had my private practice since 2018. I realized that, while kids with learning differences need support, so do their parents. It’s very overwhelming for them.
As a parent, you’re frantically trying to figure out what to do. There’s very little out there for parents. There’s a lot of resources for children and educators, but there’s a big gap.
I’d already moved my private practice in that direction when (last fall, in October) I got an email from the editor of Zeitgeist of Penguin Random House, who was looking for an expert to write a book.
Her role as an editor there is to search the market for gaps, and she has found a gap for books for parents with kids with dyslexia. She had been looking for 8 months for the person to write this book.
A lot of professionals are trained in one program, but they’re not necessarily broad experts. I’m both: I’m trained in specific programs, but also a broad expert.
Around Christmas time, I took a break from my practice and consulting and wrote it in a month while secluded away.
What’s next for you and your book? Are there any upcoming projects you’d like us to know about?
My big goal for the book is to make it a go-to source for parents so that they don’t have to waste time. Usually, within the first ten minutes of meeting with a family, there is an audible sigh of relief and the energy shifts.
Sometimes this comes after years of listening to the wrong people and getting the wrong advice. I want to catapult this resource to parents.
Teaching a kid how to read is important, but not the entire picture. Parents have to be empowered to support their child, to communicate with schools, and to advocate.
It really comes down to parents fighting for their child, and they can do that when they have an expert in their corner telling them what to do and what to say to get the necessary resources.
Private therapy and intervention is expensive. I wrote this book with families in mind who may not be able to afford services. This way, it’s not about privilege.
Parents themselves don’t have to be the experts, but they have to understand what’s going on. They have to be given a clear roadmap. That’s what the book offers.
This book is written with the lens of a younger child, around 6-9 years old. I would love to work on a book for older students. I will also be launching free or low-cost courses as supplements for the book.
Lastly, one of my big goals is to get the private practice running on a bigger scale and eventually turn it into a non-profit.
If you could say one thing to encourage a struggling child and family, what would you say?
Dyslexia doesn’t mean that you or your child is broken. It just means you need a different approach. Your brain works differently, and we need to teach you how to navigate that.
There is no “normal” kid. Every kid has the right to be viewed as their own unique person.
I can see why you and your practice are successful. I’m so happy your book is coming out and the world can access it!
Thank you!
For more information, please visit www.LeadChanges.com
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