By Lindsey-Anne Pontes, Author
Find her on Instagram!

Being slapped with the IEP (Individual Education Plan) label in elementary school put you in a “special” category, and this label followed me into high school. Though my IEP was for Reading and Writing and was given to me because I needed extra time when it came to tests, class assignments, etc., it felt like I was looked down upon by some of my peers. Having an IEP was usually kept on the DL in school, but once someone found out, it seemed they classified you as “dumb”. Because of this title, my high school courses were practically pre-selected for me. I was placed in many “Applied” courses right off the bat, with few “Academic” choices. Which, in turn, made me limit my own capabilities, because if I was told I “couldn’t do it”, then why should I even try?

I always liked to write stories, but I was really shitty at it. Spelling was hard, but reading was harder. I was terrible at sounding out words, which didn’t help when my teachers in elementary school needed to grade my creative writing assignments or English papers.

We often had “silent reading time” in elementary school, which was terrible because I didn’t know how to read. I didn’t have many books of my own to bring to school, therefore, I was left to choose from the small class selection – which were boring as hell. Forced to still pick one, I would often count to 60 seconds before turning the page of the book I was pretending to read, just to make it look like I was reading. But I didn’t want to turn the page too fast in fear of my peers around me noticing that I wasn’t actually reading. It wasn’t until I was in grade 7/8, when the school librarian brought Japanese Manga into the library, that I really got into reading. It was after reading the entire manga selection my school library had that I figured out I only thought I hated reading because I didn’t really know which books/ genres I truly enjoyed. My love for manga flourished from there.

When it came to high school, I grew to hate anything to do with writing because it only got harder as the years went on. Though English was one of my highest scoring classes each year, writing wasn’t fun anymore, and when each teacher had different rules on how to create a references page, it made me want to pull my hair out. I was, and am, a person who needs direction/ guidance when it comes to someone else’s rules, and once I understand those rules, they become golden. I have a hard time with change, so when English classes and writing demands kept changing over the years, I grew less confident in my abilities.

Oddly enough, college was a better experience when it came to writing. I took one really great English course (it was honestly just a mandatory English Introduction course to my not-English-related program), and it helped me tremendously. I still own the textbook to that class, and I used it often while I was writing my manuscripts.

That class taught me that no single writing style is correct and that the key to good writing is consistency. A great editor, and friend, reminded me of the same exact thing while I was working with her on my manuscripts. I can’t say I overcame my IEP due to one specific person or thing. I overcame it with the help of many wonderful people, but also with the determination to hold a paperback book in my hands and finally say “I created this”. The dream was to see a book that I wrote on the shelves at Chapters/ Indigo – and now I can honestly say that dream has come true.

Fast forward about 10 years later, right at the beginning of the pandemic, I released my very first, self-published book, LET ME SAVE YOU, in 2020. Then, 4 years after that, I released my second book, WALKING WITH NOTHING.

Who would’ve thought?

Not me.

Not many.

But I did it. Guess I proved “them” wrong.

And if you have an IEP, I fuckin’ know you can too.

---

About the Author

Lindsey-Anne DeSousa (Pontes) was born, raised, and currently resides in Cambridge, Ontario with her bunnies, Willow and Baloo. Lindsey comes from a Portuguese background and is fluent in both English and Portuguese.

Although Lindsey works as a full-time Dental Assistant, one of her greatest passions is reading, manga especially, along with watching anime – thus inspiring the story of her debut novel, Let Me Save You.
Lindsey is a Starbucks fanatic, becoming a regular at nearby locations and ordering the same drink since her days working at Target: a Java Chip Frappuccino.

Lindsey’s favourite pastime is to go to Café O, a local café in Kitchener, Ontario, and order a sandwich and a Ferrero Rocher Latte while writing/editing/reading to her heart’s content.
Lindsey is also a plant mom, loves playing Pokémon, watching Disney, and enjoys riding her motorcycle in the warmer weather.

After eight long years in the making, going through numerous edits and annoying all of her friends, Lindsey’s debut novel, Let Me Save You, was published on November 1st, 2020! 

And four long years after that, Lindsey’s second novel, Walking With Nothing, was published on September 1st, 2024!