1. Annabella Avery “Bella” Thorne

2. Who is Bella Thorne?
Bella Thorne is an actress from the Disney Show “Shake it Up!” and from many movies such as “Blended” and “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!”
Bella Thorne (IMDb)

3. What is bella’s disability?
Bella has Dyslexia which is defined as:
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
International Dyslexia Association

4. About Dyslexia Dyslexia: (True or False)
“There are no clues to dyslexia before a child enters school”
False, Since reading is based on spoken language, clues to a possibility of dyslexia are present before a child enters school. Clues such as difficulty learning & remembering the name and letter of the alphabet, nursery rhymes & doesn’t recognize patterns.
“Those with dyslexia are not as intelligent as the rest of the population”
False; those with dyslexia learn differently and generally are above average or of average intelligence.
“Those with dyslexia are lazy and don’t apply themselves appropriately”
False; those with dyslexia, their brains are wired differently and often have to work five times harder to do an ordinary task than those who do not have dyslexia.
The Dyslexia Think Tank
& Myths and Truths about Dyslexia

5. I first heard that Bella Thorne had dyslexia while watching the Disney Channel with my nieces (I saw a commercial of her explaining her challenges.) I realized that Bella and my husband both have Dyslexia, and by choosing her I could do research and better understand some of the things my husband faces on a daily basis.
The why?
Why did I choose Bella Thorne?

6. Dyslexia defined in her own words!
Bella Thorne Dyslexia Story

7. As a child, dyslexia affected Bella in many ways:
She found out in the 1st grade and realized she couldn’t read as well as the other students.
Wanting to be an actress, she has to read the script and be able to comprehend what is going on (learned from the definition that a problem with reading comprehension can be an effect of dyslexia)
It made reading and writing hard for her, which affected her job as an actress
She suffered from peer abuse when in a public school because she wasn’t “as smart as the other kids.”
Bella Thorne Online
The how?
How dyslexia affected her growing up?

8. Dyslexia has affected Bella in many ways now, as an “adult”:
She still gets the words jumbled up when reading her lines but she has learned to take a deep breath and start over!
Bella has to work harder than most actors because of her dyslexia
Bella Thorne Online
The how?
How dyslexia has affected her now?

9. How Bella overcomes her dyslexia everyday!
As a child her parents would make her read everything from the menu at a restaurant to labels of a cereal box, and even directions.
She was homeschooled after first grade and began reading everyday.
Bella reads and writes a grade level above current students in her grade.
Bella Thorne Online

10. Tengo dislexia Interesting facts!
She began her career at four weeks old.
She has a collection of books!
This fact shows that even though she has dyslexia, she does not let it stop her from doing whatever she wants, and that includes reading as many books as she can!
Bella’s first language was Spanish!
This is an interesting fact because I have heard that English is one of the hardest languages to learn, and it must be even harder to learn if you have dyslexia.
Tengo dislexia
Bella Thorne Online

11. “I read everyday. I read everything, books, directions, scripts, cereal boxes, and ingredients. Never let anyone make you think that you aren’t as good as someone because you have a disability. Never let it stop you!”
-Bella Thorne
Quote by Bella Thorne!

12. Cites Bella Thorne (IMDb) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2254074/
The International Dyslexia Association Promoting literacy through research, education and advocacy (The International Dyslexia Association Promoting literacy through research, education and advocacy)
Bella Thorne Online - The official fansite for Bella Thorne (Bella Thorne Online The official fansite for Bella ThorneRSS)
The Dyslexia Think Tank. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Myths & Truths About Dyslexia * The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Bella Thorne Dyslexia Story. (n.d.). Retrieved from