Former Special Education Student Publishes Best-Selling Children’s Book

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I want Nelson Beats The Odds to resonate with young people, particularly African-American males and students with learning disabilities,” Sidney said, “I was in special education and I know exactly how it feels to be stigmatized and labeled.”

In school Sidney struggled academically and behaviorally. He spent five years in special education after being diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Sidney enrolled in Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work program in 2011 to learn how to better serve at-risk youth. In 2015 Sidney self-published  Nelson Beats The Odds , a graphic novel about a young man who struggles with the stigma of being placed in special education. The book became a platform for Sidney to share his childhood experiences and bring attention to the plight of students with disabilities.