12 U.S. Presidents Who Overcame Learning Differences
Written: March 6, 2023 (Wednesday) (UPDATED: July 25, 2024 (Thursday))
Discover the inspiring stories of 12 United States Presidents who led with disabilities and learning differences.
Out of the 46 U.S. Presidents so far, 12 of them had learning differences and disabilities when they became Presidents. Did you know we had Presidents with ADHD, with a stutter, in wheelchairs, and with hearing loss? These are some of the incredible learning differences and physical challenges our Presidents were living with at a time when their conditions were considered shameful mental illnesses and disgraceful physical conditions.
For example, in 1789, George Washington became the 1st U.S. President even though he could not read because of his learning differences. It was no secret that Abraham Lincoln suffered from a major depression that rendered him often debilitated while he was President from 1860 to 1863. James Madison suffered from epilepsy his entire life, including as President from 1809 to 1817.
Compare their time to now in 2024, when shame and stigma still exist for all of the conditions each of these Presidents experienced in their lifetime.
As a person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who struggles to see numbers in my mind, I usually don’t pay much attention to dates. But in this blog, I included the dates when each of them served as President to highlight the period they lived in and the type of society they encountered - where they were discouraged from being open about their physical and learning disabilities, as they were described back then.
Imagine how they grew up and went to school during their lifetime. At the time, these U.S. Presidents were considered disabled people, and society labeled their conditions as mental illnesses and learning disorders. Sadly, most of their conditions are still labeled that way today.
As an ADHD person who was diagnosed as an adult in my 20s, I understand the unique everyday journey faced by someone with a "learning disability" - as others refer to me - when I pursued my dreams of becoming a lawyer and an international speaker. It’s not easy. It’s a daily challenge. It’s a lifetime struggle.
If you have physical or learning challenges, you might be asking yourself:
“Will I ever reach my full potential?”
If you’re a parent of these children, you might be wondering, “Can my child go to college, work, or have a career?”
I get it. As a mom of two boys, one of whom also has ADHD, I understand these parents’ concerns. They want the best for their kids and know how unkind people can be.
That’s why now, as a thriving ADHD Mom, professional speaker, and lawyer, I support moms with ADHD to overcome their challenges and embrace their neurodiversity so they and their children can thrive on their terms.
As an ADHD Simplifier for over two decades, I learned that finding role models who overcame similar physical and mental challenges remains a powerful tool to inspire others.
So, I looked for them for you and found individuals who not only reached greatness with their conditions but also happened to be U.S. Presidents!
In celebration of Presidents’ Day, join me in honoring these 12 U.S. Presidents who broke barriers and led beyond limitations.
From Stigma To Strength:
Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (2020 - Present)
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., known as Joe Biden, didn’t receive professional help for his stutter. Instead, he practiced in front of mirrors for hours, reciting poetry by Irish poets such as William Butler Yeats.
He also marked up his speeches, using slashes to show where he could take a moment to pause, a method that forced him not to rush. The Award-winning movie “The King’s Speech,” about King George VI’s stutter, depicted a similar process. These speaking strategies are known to be highly challenging, and people who stutter should not be expected to use them easily.
During his Oval Office address after dropping out of his re-election campaign for his second term in office on July 24, 2024, President Biden expressed, in part:
"My fellow Americans, it’s been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years.
Nowhere else on Earth could a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and in Claymont, Delaware, one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as the president of the United States, but here I am.
That’s what’s so special about America. We are a nation of promise and possibilities. Of dreamers and doers. Of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things...."
President Biden has been open about the immense challenges he faced with his stuttering as he delivered many speeches as a U.S. Senator, Vice-President, and now as the 46th President of the United States.
Knowing a U.S. President who stutters inspires tremendous possibilities for young people who struggle with their speech.
His presidency is also an opportunity to raise awareness and understanding about speech impediments. Public discussions about stuttering have already increased significantly.
President Biden also launched the 988 Lifeline Services that offers 24/7 call, text, and chat access to trained crisis counselors for (1) people experiencing substance use, mental health, and emotional crises, as well as (2) people worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. Call, chat, or text 988 nationwide if you are in crisis.
2. Thomas Jefferson (1801 - 1809)
Despite his reported battles with speech impediment and learning differences, including stuttering and dyslexia, President Thomas Jefferson loved to read. His personal library contained thousands of books.
Historians have also described President Jefferson’s “peculiarities,” many of which closely matched current diagnostic criteria for high-functioning autism. He was known for his limited social skills, strong avoidance of public speaking, always wearing a too-tight buttoned-up vest, and a strong need for long horse rides daily, possibly to calm his sensory input.
His learning differences didn’t stop him from becoming the 3rd President of the United States, author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the Democratic Party, and founder of the University of Virginia. He was a great president, political thinker, and diplomat.
3. John F. Kennedy (1960-1963)
President John F. Kennedy had dyslexia, chronic back pain, and was believed to have ADHD. Despite these challenges, he attended Harvard, received the Purple Heart and the World War II Victory Medal from his service in the Navy, served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and became the 35th President of the United States in 1960. He was the youngest man ever elected President at age 43.
President Kennedy’s sister Eunice, who founded the Special Olympics, encouraged him to discuss learning differences during his presidency.
President Kennedy and his family significantly increased awareness toward people with learning differences. Twenty years after the Kennedy administration, Congress has passed 116 acts or amendments supporting people with learning differences and their families.
4. George Washington (1789-1797)
Throughout his life, President George Washington could not spell and struggled with grammar.
President Washington was believed to have dyslexia and taught himself to work through his learning differences.
Despite his learning differences, Washington became the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and he was elected unanimously as the 1st President of the United States of America.
5. William Jefferson Clinton (1992-2000)
President Bill Clinton experienced high-frequency hearing disorder for a long time.
Despite hearing loss, he became the Governor of Arkansas and the 42nd President of the United States.
At the age of 51 and during his presidency in 1997, he started wearing hearing aids. He can still play his saxophone.
Following his presidency, President Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea, volunteered with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which aims to provide people in developing countries with hearing aids.
6. Ronald Reagan (1980-1988)
President Ronald Reagan was severely nearsighted; he had to sit in front of his classrooms.
President Reagan’s hearing was damaged in one ear while he was still an actor in 1939 when a 0.38 caliber blank went off near him on the set of the film Code of the Secret Service.
During his presidency in 1983, he was publicly fitted for hearing aids, shedding light on the growing issue of hearing loss.
He was later fitted with hearing aids with a remote control that allowed him to adjust volume and program features without drawing too much attention. He inspired new technology and improved hearing aid products.
Despite his vision and hearing challenges, he became a radio announcer in Iowa, an actor with a contract with Warner Brothers, a two-term Governor of California, and the 40th President of the United States.
President Reagan increased hearing health awareness by declaring May the “Better Hearing and Speech Month” - now known as the National Speech-Language-Hearing Month.
7. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1960)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, nicknamed “Ike,” had learning differences believed to be dyslexia. Despite this, he accomplished notable military and government service.
He was a five-star general, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, leader of the victorious Allied forces in Europe during World War II, President of Columbia University, and the 34th President of the United States.
8. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
President Woodrow Wilson had a learning difference: dyslexia. He did not learn the alphabet until he was nine, could barely read by age twelve, and was a slow reader.
His father helped him overcome his dyslexia by teaching him the art of debate.
President Wilson studied law at the University of Virginia despite his learning differences. He became President of Princeton University, Governor of New Jersey, and was elected the 28th President of the United States.
While in office as President, he suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed for the remainder of his presidency.
His domestic reforms included the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1914.
President Wilson, a World War I leader, received the Nobel Peace Prize for the Versailles Treaty in 1919.
9. Abraham Lincoln (1860-1863)
It was no secret that President Abraham Lincoln suffered from major depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. His condition often became so extreme that they incapacitated him and manifested into physical ailments, such as severe headaches.
He was also thought to have Marfan Syndrome, a genetic condition affecting the body’s connective tissue, often resulting in long limbs, flexible joints, and cardiovascular complications.
Instead of letting his condition overcome him, he turned to hobbies, such as storytelling and reading, to get him through his episodes of depression.
Despite his challenges, President Lincoln became a lawyer and a member of the House of Representatives, led the country to win the Civil War, abolished slavery, and became the 16th President of the United States.
10. James Madison (1809-1817)
President James Madison battled epilepsy his entire life. His health prevented him from attending William & Mary due to malaria concerns. He instead went to Princeton and completed their three-year program in just two years.
Often referred to as the Father of the Constitution, he drafted the Bill of Rights and played a critical role in designing the checks and balances system that granted equal roles to the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the government in the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
During the War of 1812, he served as the 4th President of the United States. He also created the federal system.
11. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
President Theodore Roosevelt had severe asthma that stunted his physical growth. He was also nearsighted.
His childhood illnesses motivated him to live an active life. An avid boxer, he suffered a severe blow to the head during a boxing match, detaching his retina and causing blindness in one eye.
Despite his physical challenges, he was a lieutenant colonel during the Spanish-American War and was elected the 16th President of the United States.
12. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945)
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, aka FDR, was the first president with significant physical disability to be elected. He contracted polio at age 39 from drinking water at a campground, making him paralyzed from the waist down in 1921.
While in rehabilitation, he focused on swimming, practiced walking with leg braces, exercised, and surrounded himself with optimistic company during the rehabilitation process.
His wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, convinced him to resume his political career. Although his advisors initially feared that his disability would be a hindrance during his 1932 presidential campaign, his physical disability was never widely discussed.
President FDR made great efforts to hide the extent of his disability. He requested the press to avoid taking his photographs while being assisted in walking or going in and out of his car. Most reporters respected his request.
He also had a special wheelchair made for him from a standard kitchen chair with added bicycle wheels. To those who saw him in his wheelchair, it looked like he was sitting on a regular chair and not a wheelchair.
While President FDR kept his paralysis discreet, he championed others with polio. He created the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, later known today as the March of Dimes.
As the 32nd President of the United States, he promised to create jobs for the unemployed and assist those in need.
He led our country out of the Great Depression and into victory in World War II. He was the only United States President to serve four terms in office.
CLOSING REFLECTIONS
Despite their physical and mental struggles, these 12 most influential leaders thrived while navigating their physical disabilities and learning differences during their presidencies and beyond.
I have no doubt all of them had a hard time reaching their goals and managing their conditions.
Yet, they remind us of our greatness within - no matter our circumstances. May their stories inspire you of your capabilities and possibilities.
I wish history books had this information about our Presidents. Many students - whether in preschool, elementary, high school, or college - can relate to one of these Presidents’ physical and learning differences. Their stories can inspire young adults to reach for their full potential.
If their physical and mental conditions inspired you, I invite you to share this blog post with someone you know who has any of these conditions. You never know who might need it.
👉Your Journal Prompt:
Which President did you relate with the most and why?
I invite you to share in the comments below, too. Your words might change someone’s life.
I appreciate you, 🙏
~ Katherine
P.S. For sources and in-depth discussion on this and similar topics, click to connect with me here: ADHD Simplifiers Community.
