Maya Hawke says her dyslexia was a ‘blessing’ despite the struggles that came with it

American actor Maya Hawke has opened up about her longstanding struggle with dyslexia.

The 22-year-old Stranger Things star spoke about the hurdles she faced since a very young age during an interview NPR amid promotions of her first music album, Blush.

Hawke detailed her struggle with reading as a child, and said that while the disorder was “deeply difficult” to deal with, she also regards it as “one of the great blessings of my life in a lot of ways.”

“But I did get, like, kicked out of school for not being able to read when I was a kid. I went to a special school for kids with learning disabilities. And it took me a long time to learn how to read, and I still am limited,” she said.

“The wonderful thing about today’s world is that there are so many options. There’s something about having had a limitation in regards to my ability to produce and take in stories that made me even more determined to love them and understand them and grow in them,” Hawke further said.

She also lauded her parents, actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, for their efforts in ensuring she remains motivated.

“It was deeply difficult, you know, to be in the slow class. Every grade that went by, you get dropped down into a lower and lower reading group. And other kids find out. And there’s bullying in place,” she said.

“But my parents did a wonderful job of encouraging me to be creative,” she added.

She went on to say that her recent avatar as Jo in the classic tale of Little Women was made all the more meaningful owing to her dyslexia.

“Jo was a big inspiration to me as far as having the drive and the passion to pursue my love for reading and writing, even when it was challenging,” said Maya.