Thomas Edison is one of the most prolific inventors in the history of the United States. He was awarded over 1,000 patents in his lifetime, including significant inventions such as the mimeograph, and most famously, the light bulb. It took Edison years of experimenting to perfect his inventions. Before he could make the alkaline storage battery work, he failed over 10,000 times!.
What most people do not recognize Edison for is his apparent learning disabilities. He did not learn to speak until age 4, and was not able to read until age 12. It’s been noted elsewhere that he had difficulties with math and speech. When Edison attended school in Port Huron, Michigan, his teachers considered him a dull and “addled” student who asked ridiculous questions. Edison recalled having always been at the bottom of his class. Could the most prolific inventor of all time have had difficulty learning?
In today’s world, Thomas Edison probably would have been diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Others have determined, because of his difficulties reading, that Edison may have been dyslexic. Whatever the real reason behind his learning difficulties, Edison surmounted them – and others’ perceptions of his abilities – to make significant contributions to our society. Imagine what modern life might be like had Edison’s difficulty in school discouraged him from inventing the phonograph, universal stock ticker, or motion picture camera? In addition to his hundreds of inventions, Edison started Edison General Electric Co., which today is known simply as General Electric (GE).
EPS began as the leading publisher of materials for students with dyslexia. Over the past 50 years, we’ve developed programs that support students with a wide variety of learning disabilities. Choose a subject from the left to learn more about these resources.
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