There was an Associated Press story by Collin Binkley that appeared over the last weekend that stirred a lot of childhood trauma.

The story reported how one Lauryn Mueller was scrolling through social media when she saw a clip of President Donald Trump belittling California Gov. Gavin Newsom for having dyslexia. For Muller, who is 18, it brought back memories of her own “struggles learning to read and the times she felt something was wrong with her.”

Trump called Newsom “stupid,” “low IQ,” “mentally disabled,” and unfit to become president for having dyslexia. Regardless of how one feels about Newsom, he should be commended for overcoming his condition.

Newsom has for years discussed his dyslexia, including in a children’s book he wrote in 2021, as well as a new memoir. On his recent book tour, he talked about memorizing speeches because he is unable to read them, according to Binkley.

I’d forgotten my own childhood struggles with reading until I read and re-read the story. Then the memories flooded back.

I was in the first grade, attending Whittier Elementary School in Pocatello, Idaho. My teacher had trouble teaching me my “A, B, C’s,” and had contacted my parents because the letters and words just weren’t getting through.

It wasn’t until late in the year we all discovered that it wasn’t dyslexia. My teacher thought I was – to use the word at the time – “slow.”

My mom and dad discovered my vision was so bad I couldn’t see the chalkboard.

By that time, it was nearly too late. I lost almost an entire year, something my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Borrowman, learned and set out to correct. She spent hours through the summer months tutoring me. I’ve always credited her with helping me develop a love of reading and writing.

By fourth grade, I was reading books beyond my years. My first-ever “solo” book was “Swiss Family Robinson,” by Jean Rudolph Wyss. I still have the copy in my “Treasure Chest.” The 250-page book is musty and lacks a hardcover spine, but it’s important to me.

A junior high school classmate wasn’t so fortunate. I had a major crush on her in the eighth and ninth grades and into high school, but lost track when I went off to college. It wasn’t until our 2014 high school reunion we reconnected.

I interviewed her for a book I was thinking about writing. The project never came together but she and I had a good conversation. I learned she had dyslexia but was never diagnosed. She went on to become an interior designer.

Often misunderstood, dyslexia affects the link between the brain and printed language, making it difficult for people to read. Dyslexia often emerges in childhood, according to Binkley’s story. It is estimated to affect up to 20% of the world population.

Binkley wrote that a learning disability is often misunderstood and “Trump’s comments clash with research findings that dyslexia and IQ are unrelated.”

“All of a sudden, you’re not doing so well in school, and then people will tell you, ‘ Oh, you’re not trying, you’re not smart, or whatever, and none of that’s accurate. You just have this difference in that bridge from language to print,” John Gabrieli, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Binkley.

Trump’s words to Newsom are appalling, but they also affect those like Muller, who have the same condition.

My admonition to parents is to have their children tested if they see their kids have trouble reading. Don’t wait a minute.

-Jim Smith is the former editor of The Daily Democrat, retiring in 2021 after a 27-year career at the paper.