“Traditional definitions of success often leave [dyslexic] kids like Max behind because they think and learn differently…” ~ Jennifer Ash

As a child, Max Ash had a hard time learning how to talk.

When he went to school, he didn’t learn at the same pace as the other children in his class. He had difficulty learning to read and write.

His parents noted his challenges, had him tested, and found out that he has dyslexia. They searched and found The Carroll School in Lincoln Massachusetts and enrolled him. This school specializes in teaching children with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.

One day, Max’s 2nd-grade art teacher, asked the class to create a mug out of clay. He thought about his two favorite things: sports and hot chocolate. Max had this ingenious idea of tossing mini-marshmallows into his hot chocolate, so he crafted a mug and added a basketball hoop to the rim.

When his mother visited the school and saw the mug, she was stunned.

Max was upset that some of his classmates copied his idea, so his mother explained that their copying meant his idea was a good one. She went on to point out how when he grew up, people would not only pay Max for his art, but also for his ideas.

After understanding that he could bring his ideas to life himself or have someone else pay for the idea and bring the project to life, Max decided that he wanted to be an entrepreneur.

 Max launched his business in 2014 at the age of 10. His older brother became his product tester and his parents his marketing support. Since then, they have expanded the product line and now have mugs for basketball, baseball, football, hockey, and soccer. Max holds 6 patents (design and utility), has sold over 130,000 mugs, and has donated over $50K to charity.

Dyslexic children look at the world differently. Because of that, they are great creative thinkers and problem solvers.

Parental support for one dyslexic child’s idea launched a successful business and a best-selling product that makes it acceptable for children of all ages to play with their food.

Max’s message to the world is that, “kids with dyslexia have good ideas but they learn differently.”

He summarized it splendidly in one of his speeches,  “Kids with dyslexia are very smart.  It’s just that our brains process information differently. Sometimes that makes certain activities harder for us (like reading and writing, or remembering and repeating things that we’ve heard). But dyslexia is also a gift and one that allowed me to envision a basketball hoop for marshmallow tossing where other people just see a mug. My invention showcases that people with dyslexia see the world differently and the world is lucky that we do!”

He aims to combat the stigma often associated with learning differences, whenever he speaks.

Most times, parents become too focused on the limitations of their dyslexic children and miss their phenomenal creativity and giftedness.

When was the last time you noted your child’s special abilities?