--- title: How dyslexia led this camp counselor to dye his hair pink description: When an 11-year-old with dyslexia was too embarrassed to read, her camp counselor challenged her to try something new. Find out what happened. slug: how-dyslexia-led-this-camp-counselor-to-dye-his-hair-pink author: Tara Drinks published: '2019-10-16T11:55:25.829Z' thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/9677449CC0DE44909FE24061B8F2C578/007d7bee6a8c020c6fd756cb83f15691/103118_How_Dyslexia_Made_A_Camp_Counselor_Dyed_His_Hair_Pink.jpg source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-dyslexia-led-this-camp-counselor-to-dye-his-hair-pink lang: en --- # How dyslexia led this camp counselor to dye his hair pink When Samyra, an 11-year-old from Ohio, was diagnosed with [dyslexia](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-dyslexia), she felt so bad about herself that she lost her desire to read. But that all changed when her summer camp counselor, Oliver, stepped in. "It started almost as a joke,” he [told BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45229580). Oliver challenged Samyra to read 10 books in five weeks. If she did, she could dye his hair another color. Eager to win, Samyra set out to read two books per week. But the first book she chose was 345 pages. She realized she needed to find shorter books that were manageable to read. And that’s exactly what she did. During the next five weeks, Samyra read 10 books. She did it with the help of [assistive technology](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/assistive-technology-for-reading). Samyra used Learning Ally, an online service that adds audio to text, so kids can follow along as a book is read aloud. Samyra mostly read from the [*Whatever After*](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/community-picks-13-books-for-struggling-readers) book series, which is based on modern-day fairy tales. “I kept reading,” she said. “I wanted him to have pink hair.” Eventually he did, according to [a post](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/93jmgr/one_month_ago_i_challenged_one_of_my_campers_who/?rdt=49724) Oliver made on Reddit. “Well, she finished her challenge and, alas, I now have pink hair.” His new look was a hit, but the experience represented much more than good humor. It challenged Samyra to believe in herself and in her ability to read. And she hasn’t stopped, says her mother Kris. “Even now that the challenge is over, she’s up late reading her book before bed.” Oliver is also happy that Samyra now wants to read. “Having her see that even with dyslexia, she could still read and read at a high level, that was really something.” --- Learn where to find [free audiobooks for your child](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/free-audiobooks-and-digital-text-to-speech-books-for-your-child). Explore ways to encourage your child to read. And get inspired by a teen with dyslexia who used sign language to help a deaf and blind passenger during a flight. ** --- ## Explore related topics and articles - [An inspirational encounter for every child with dyslexia](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/an-inspirational-encounter-for-every-child-with-dyslexia) - Chris, now in seventh grade, and his mom Stephanie recently shared with me their story of difficulty and triumph. It was an inspirational encounter that was a perfect way to start the New Year. Throughout the early grades, Chris did not learn to read. This caused a lot of heartache. Then, an evaluat - [How a teen with dyslexia found her voice](https://www.understood.org/en/podcasts/in-it/through-my-eyes-caris) - Teen Caris and her dad open up about living with dyslexia, breaking stigma, and why listening to kids is key to better support and understanding. What happens when we stop talking about kids with learning differences and start listening to them? Kids are the experts in their own experience. When w - [What my daughter with dyslexia taught me about learning to read](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-my-daughter-with-dyslexia-taught-me-about-learning-to-read) - Oh my god, she just read the word air! screams Ella, my then 11-year-old daughter. Were at a gas station and her 4-year-old sister Lily is reading all the signs she sees. But Ella has dyslexia and can't, and Im not sure how to respond. Should I praise little Lily or calm Ella down? Shes not supposed --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-dyslexia-led-this-camp-counselor-to-dye-his-hair-pink#webpage","url":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-dyslexia-led-this-camp-counselor-to-dye-his-hair-pink","description":"When an 11-year-old with dyslexia was too embarrassed to read, her camp counselor challenged her to try something new. 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