Bella Thorne Opens Up About Her Dyslexia

In this Sunday’s episode of Shake It Up, you’ll see Bella Thorne battle on-screen with dyslexia — but did you know this is something that she battles everyday?

The 13-year-old actress chatted with JJJ about her confusion about the learning disability and learning how to deal with it on a day-to-day basis. Bella shared, “Dyslexia has affected my life in a big way. At first, I was really afraid and self conscious because I didn’t feel like I was as smart as other kids and couldn’t read the way they did. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t do so many things as well as other kids, and why I was learning so much slower. After I found out I had dyslexia, I was confused about how I felt.”

She continued, “In a way, I was happy to know that it was something that affects other people and that I wasn’t alone, but I also felt bad because I knew I had a big struggle ahead of me and that it may affect me my whole life. Now, I feel proud. I really work hard at reading and accept that sometimes I might get confused and that it is ok. I’m not alone. Dyslexia has taught me that if you work really hard, you can overcome great challenges.”

“Add It Up” premieres THIS Sunday, November 28 @ 8:30PM ET/PT on Disney Channel.