We turned our efforts elsewhere. We found comprehensive, up-to-date information online when we came across SchwabLearning.org. SchwabLearning armed me with the tools, support and resources I needed to become a better parent to my daughter with learning differences. SchwabLearning also provided me with the guidance, practical information and support I needed to become my daughter's best advocate and more easily navigate her journey with dyslexia.

Personal contacts were established within SchwabLearning, and I received a great deal of guidance from key individuals. They encouraged me to forge ahead and make a difference in my community.

That evening I approached my husband with the idea of opening a resource center offering materials and support to other families who were going through what we were. He agreed immediately, and together we started the Learning Brook, a not-for-profit organization based in Cleveland, Ohio, to help empower children with dyslexia and related learning differences.

A turning point for my daughter came when she decided to do a required three-month research project culminating with a 30-minute presentation on nothing other than dyslexia. As she began to better understand what dyslexia was, she felt much better. She was fascinated with what she was learning. Her embarrassment and nervousness were replaced with confidence and strength. She wanted to teach others, a true self-advocate. Her presentation was incredible and well received by her teachers and classmates.

The most important thing to come out of her independent study was her empowerment.

True to her dream, our daughter has started a "club" for kids with learning differences. She and I recently hosted the first "Saturday Social" for kids. The theme was "my gifts and talents." You see, my daughter has always been a gift to others. Her ribbons are once again brightly colored. As I looked around the center, her eyes and the eyes of her new friends shone so brightly and their smiles were huge.

Online Resources

• www.SchwabLearning.org A Web site that acts as a parent's guide for children with learning and attention problems. It provides research-based information and guidance on the academic, emotional and social needs of these children and offers practical strategies parents can use to help their child work effectively with schools and teachers.
• www.SparkTop.org The first Web site created expressly for kids ages 8 to 12 with learning and attention problems. It offers a variety of activities, games and creative tools to help kids discover their unique way of learning and develop their strengths and self-esteem. SparkTop.org also provides a means for kids to express themselves and explore their interests, helping children feel positive about the fact that everyone's brain works (or "sparks") differently.