Issue 14: The Dystinct Journey of Nolan Courchaine

Nine-year-old Nolan Courchaine from Indiana, USA, is an inspiring young boy with a passion for adventure and fun, infectiously encouraging those around him to embrace the joys of life. According to his mother, Keatha Courchaine, Nolan is a perpetually happy child who finds joy in every aspect of life, including his passion for sports and making people smile. Every season presents a new opportunity for Nolan, from running cross country and playing football in the fall to hockey in the winter and shooting sports and running in the spring. When not participating in sports, he spends his time outdoors with his pet corgi Rosie and his brother and best friend, Palmer He also loves to fish and even caught a small shark in the Florida Keys last year.

Keatha first noticed a disconnect in Nolan's learning when he was in grade 1, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what the issue was. She noticed that he struggled with spelling words and couldn't recognize letter sounds leading her to suspect that he may have a processing delay, though she didn't know the name for it at the time.

As the months passed, Keatha grew increasingly concerned that her son may be struggling with a learning disability. However, she became even more worried when she didn't receive the dyslexia screeners that were supposed to be sent home by state law. Instead, she received a notification that he was going to be receiving RTI (Response to Intervention). However, not knowing enough about the system at the time, she assumed that the school would eventually recommend testing Nolan for dyslexia if needed. It wasn't until halfway through second grade, when she shared her concerns with a teacher, that she was told to request the testing herself. She soon realized that if she didn't request for him to be tested, it wouldn't be done.

Nolan was eight years old when he was formally diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD inattentive and Auditory Processing Disorder. Nolan's struggle to fit in saw him become increasingly confused and frustrated at school. Keatha shares that Nolan developed generalized anxiety, for which he now sees a therapist to help him understand and express his feelings. "He tries to hold a lot of his emotions in because he wants to keep everyone happy all the time. We are working with him so that he knows he isn't responsible for other people's happiness."

We are working with him so that he knows he isn't responsible for other people's happiness.

Nolan's younger brother, Palmer, was also diagnosed with dyslexia a few months later. Unfortunately, Nolan's family did not have a good experience working with the public school system. By the time their public school held a meeting to review the Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE), the family had already been through mediation. "Unfortunately, due to a lack of understanding between teachers, and parents, children like Nolan and Palmer are misunderstood. Nolan didn't understand at the time why he had such a difficult time understanding certain things and reading the words on the paper; now he does, so he can explain to his peer why he needs more time to learn," shares Keatha. Despite their efforts to advocate for their son so he could continue within the public school system, it appeared that they would not be given the support they needed. The experience left them feeling frustrated and discouraged, but they remained determined to find the best educational path for both Nolan and Palmer.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of understanding between teachers, and parents, children like Nolan and Palmer are misunderstood.