Darien Student Aims To Raise Awareness About Learning Disabilities

DARIEN, CT — When Sydney Riccio, then a sophomore at Darien High School, discovered she had undiagnosed learning disabilities like dyslexia, she sprung into action.

Always successful academically, Riccio wanted to help other young students with learning disabilities navigate through challenges that arise.

"I realized that so many other students are in my position and do not get diagnosed until much later in their academic careers, which can be really detrimental to their development and their ways of thinking," said Riccio, now a senior at DHS. "So I wanted to create an organization and a space for them to have a platform, to understand their intellectual differences, and to get the resources that they deserve in an accessible way, and to have an opportunity for them to share their stories."

Learn Abilities was born — a youth-led nonprofit organization that aims to uplift the voices of those with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

The organization educates youth about learning disabilities, unites people through shared experiences and stories in an online blog, and provides resources for students to combat prejudice and raise awareness about the neurodivergent youth community.

Since January 2023, the group has expanded to around 700 members across the globe, from California to the United Arab Emirates. Members primarily communicate online and via social media.

"It makes me so happy," Riccio said of the success of Learn Abilities thus far. "I feel so relieved that people are becoming more aware of this issue and I'm so happy that I have people who support me and are willing to listen to what I'm trying to say and trying to do. I'm just so proud to see it take off and become what it is."

Riccio recalled an email she received shortly after Learn Abilities was launched from a girl named Aneri who lives in Dubai. Aneri became a member of the organization.

"She was thanking me for doing what I did because she didn't think that learning disabilities were talked about a lot," Riccio said. "She had learning disabilities, and she was just grateful to find a space where she felt proud to be a part of, and she felt she was able to really express her experiences."

Because of her work, Riccio applied for the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) Activism and Advocacy Scholarship, which is given to students who have a passion for bringing about social, political, and/or civil change in their community.

One day in October, she was sitting in her guidance counselor's office at DHS when she received the news she had been selected.

Riccio was one of just five students in the country to receive the $1,000 scholarship award.

"I was ecstatic. I didn't think I was going to win. I was so happy and so surprised," Riccio said.

She noted she has "ambitious goals" for Learn Abilities.

"I recognize that I can't change how learning disabilities in schools are approached in the world; I can't enforce more policies and more testing, but I can help change the stigma surrounding them," Riccio said. "If we can get more members who are willing to share their experiences and to learn more about what neurologically learning disabilities truly are, maybe we can destigmatize them and make people realize that even if they think differently, it's not a reflection of their intelligence."

Even though Riccio is still figuring out where she will attend college next fall, she hopes to study neuroscience and psychology at the collegiate level.

"I'm so glad this is something that has become so large in my life," Riccio added. "I'm excited to see where it takes me."

For more on Learn Abilities, visit the organization's website.