‘Left Behind’: A Powerful Documentary on Dyslexia and the Struggle for Change in Schools

Stepping inside someone else’s shoes. This is what this new, powerful documentary gets the viewer to do. Left Behind explores through a personal scope the challenges kids with dyslexia go through when going to a traditional learning system, accompanied with their own parent’s testimonials who want a better future and equal opportunities for neurodiverse children.

Humans tend to be egoistic. We think everyone had the same experience growing up, going to school, learning to read. But this couldn’t be further from the truth, as according to research, approximately 200,000 New York City public school students are dyslexic, yet there is no public initiative that provides the specialized skill and care necessary for these learners who struggle to read and write. 

And that’s only New York. Research from The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity points out that Dyslexia affects 20 percent of the population and represents 80–90 percent of all those with learning disabilities. It is the most common of all neuro-cognitive disorders.

LEFT BEHIND is the powerful and inspiring story of a group of determined moms who band together to create the first public dyslexic school in New York City, the largest school district in America.

“Frustrated that they had to remove their own kids from the public school system, a group of determined moms band together to do something that’s never been done before – open New York City’s first public school for dyslexic students. The journey is not a smooth ride, and they face both institutional and personal hurdles as they try to upend a system. A new mayoral candidate bolsters their fight after he reveals his own dyslexia. But will they be able to convince a bureaucratic education system to overhaul outdated politics to ensure a brighter future for the city’s dyslexic youth?”.

The movie was directed by Anna Toomey, produced by David Beal, Sian Edwards-Beal, Chris Pharrell; features new music by producer Larry Mullen Jr. of U2, whose eldest song has dyslexia but mostly, is the inspiring story of a group of determined moms who band together to create the first public dyslexic school in the largest school district in America, New York City.