My Story

by Gloria Stringer

My career in Special Education began in 1969. My experience includes over 10 years in the classroom in the public and private sector and Christian schools. For the past 10 years, I have privately tutored young people and adults. I have also volunteered at juvenile detention centers, alternative schools, and adult education centers.

Through the years, two major events occurred in my life that altered and ultimately enhanced my understanding of learning disabilities.

First, I learned that I had ever so gradually become legally deaf. This was a shock as well as a relief, as I had begun to doubt my intelligence. I was told that I had a conductive hearing loss, which was corrected with bilateral Stapes surgery. I have since learned this condition is common in persons with dyslexia.

Much later, as my daughter (at right) completed the second grade, her school informed me she might benefit repeating the second grade since she was working so slowly. Shortly thereafter, she was tested and diagnosed as dyslexic. I chose not to have her retained.

Using Drive Reading Rules, which came to me, thankfully, when we needed a miracle, I was able to teach her to read in a new way. She began to hear what she was reading. She graduated from high school in 1995 with seven Honors courses. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in English and Sociology, Magna cum laude in 2001. My daughter's first request upon graduation was that I write and copyright this teaching method for others since I was the only one with knowledge of it. She inspired me by saying that her educational success would not have been possible without the use of Drive Reading Rules.