Lying versus Reality; and Follow-up with Davis Program

Recently Coleman has been lying... sometimes telling tall tales.. and sometimes to get out of schoolwork/ studying for tests. We took swift action... taking away the things he loved the most... his golf cart and pool. When discussing the issue with Coleman, he did indicate that he was feeling a lot of pressure in school and he asked to go and see Scott again (see Davis Dyslexia post Aug 2007). He asked - it was all his idea.

I also saw the need for a follow-up because I personally had fallen off my duties in continuing to work with him in the clay and reading methods. I needed to get recommitted.

During our follow-up meeting with Scott, he explained that sometimes picture thinkers (dyslexics) have such vivid imaginations that what they see/experience becomes so real they actually think something really occured. For example, Coleman told a story about a bear approaching our camp once when he was little - which was not true -- but he was absolutely convinced that it DID happen. So, on one hand we need to understand his confusion of the facts. On the other hand, lying to get out of something is not "by accident" and most certainly should have consequences.

Coleman (and I) were reenergized by the follow-up and I have doubt it will help us get back on track.

Sound Training Rewires Dyslexic Children's Brains For Reading

A great article...

Sound Training Rewires Dyslexic Children's Brains For Reading

ScienceDaily (2007-11-04) -- Brain imaging adds further support to the idea that at least some children with dyslexia have trouble processing sound, rather than a visual problem. The study also shows that computer-based sound training exercises can not only improve reading but literally rewire the brain. The findings may help clinicians detect and remediate dyslexia even before children begin learning to read. ... > read full article

Sometimes He Can't Say What He Really Means

Example: He said "I can't", regarding a timed short division test (there's 100 division problems all on one page and students have 7 minutes to do them all).

This was strange, since I've watched him do long division during homework, pretty easily. We initially thought that he meant he could not do division... so we tried to go over again how to do division... he blocked us out...did not listen.. got upset... said "I can't" again. Then he just wouldn't - was belligerent - gave up - refused to do it - called himself stupid - cried.

Later, we talked about it again... he said in frustration "I can do it, I just can't do it THAT WAY!" What he meant was that he could not look at one page full of the facts and do it just by looking... he has to write them down. We tried it this way - with a cover sheet on which he wrote the problem and worked it out - and went zipping through them with no problem. Now, with a cover sheet, he makes 100s on these tests.

Lesson: I have to be patient and remember that Coleman really is the type of kid wants desperately to please; he is as upset as anyone when "he can't" because his brain doesn't "work right"; sometimes "I can't" really means "I can't do it that way" and what is really needed is another way of doing it :-)

School Has Been So Much Better This Year

The difference in Coleman, since the Davis Orientation week, as been dramatic! Even his Speech Language Therapist noticed during their first meeting after the sessions. The most noticeable difference is in his attitude and confidence level. Scott had somehow gotten through to him. Now, the kid who was once ashamed and confused about "what was wrong with him" openly tells people about his dyslexia and the struggles it causes -- and is sometimes pleasantly surprised to find that many others, both young and old, face some similar challenges. He also better understands the pros that come along with the cons... and can finally say, "Okay, I'm not so good at reading but I am great at math." Now, the kid who would cry and get angry with frustration at the drop of a hat, has more patience with himself and doesn't get so upset/emotional when struggling with homework.


And maybe the clay work, the learning the alphabet backwards, the deep breathing exercises, the concentration/ balance work, wasn't so strange after all. The Speech Language Therapist at Scottish Rite says that many of the tasks that the Davis Facilitator had Coleman do, are similar to things occupational therapists do with kids all the time - and some of the tasks SPLA therapists do. So much of it seems similar to Montessori's kinesthetic teaching style, as well.


The teachers at the private school may not be experts, but they certainly have been most willing to listen, try new things, and give accommodations to Coleman (when he asks - which is not often - he's still often too proud). Also, switching classes this year (3 different teachers) has been positive not just for Coleman but for the other boys in the class (says the other parents). Shifting gears, getting up and walking around and then getting refocused on one subject at a time, the change of pace and change of personalities, all seem to work better for the kids/parents that I have talked with.

Coleman still has some bad days... but he's come to understand that he needs "strategies" and to accept help. For example, he kept forgetting some of his book or work for homework. We bought him a cool watch with three alarms. Now when that first alarm goes off at 2:45 he knows that it's 'his mom calling, reminding him to check his agenda list and put everything needed in his backpack'. This has worked great!

The Gift of Dyslexia - The Davis Dyslexia Correction Program

When my son was six the 'expert' said that he had mild ADHD and needed Ritalin, although he was not hyper (yea, I know, you don't have to be hyper to have ADHD/ADD). So I relayed the report to the pediatrician who quickly wrote the prescription and told me to call the nurse in a couple of weeks with an update. That was it. No discussion about the pros, cons, alternatives or dangers.

When I went to fill the prescription our long time pharmacist took one look and said "I know it's not my place... and I could lose my job over this... but I would NEVER put my child on this medicine without careful consideration. Please go home and do some research on this issue before giving him this medicine..."

So I did all the research... and decided to not medicate. I also decided that it may indeed be the answer for some kids... when the pros outweigh the cons... and when you are sure about a diagnosis. I was not sure. Something just didn't feel right. And ALL parents considering medication should do their homework first, get a second opinion -- the stats on how many kids are being medicated and possibly misdiagnosed every day are astounding! It is estimated that many kids that actually have a learning disorder are misdiagnosed with ADD/ ADHD -- to be fair, it is sometimes hard to diagnose a learning disorder until a child is older.

So...
at age 8 we sought a second opinion from a neuro-psychologist at Scottish Rite Children's hospital. It was then when she gave us the diagnosis that did make sense -- receptive/expressive language disorder and dyslexia.

I read every book/ article on Dyslexia and my son’s "receptive/expressive language processing disorder". It really is unbelievable/incredibly sad/ incredibly infuriating how little some doctors and educators know ... and also how ridiculously territorial and egotistical some “experts” can be.

I'm up late working while away for a week for some special therapy for Coleman. It's mind-blowing really. Wouldn't have believed it if I had not experienced first-hand.

What happened is this: I read the book "Dyslexia: The Gift" and the whole first part hit the nail on the head - as if describing Coleman exactly. (see http://www.dyslexia.com/ ) The second part (the therapy) sounded a little silly - too good to be true really. I spent months researching Davis' and others' methods/ research on the parents' discussion boards on Schwablearning.org, etc. I found that about 2/3 of the people who tried the Davisapproach swore by it and the other 1/3 said it was a waste of money. But - the thing is - EVERY approach no matter how research-based or not had the same 2/3 to 1/3 split. So we gambled and gave it a try. Now here we are. And I can tell you that just the transformation in Coleman's attitude and self-esteem has already been worth every penny. This "Davis Facilitator" guy named Scott - it's like he speaks Coleman's language. For the first time Coleman is with someone who "truly gets him" and that in itself has been priceless.

Scott tells us that he gave up a lucrative career to start over at 40 as a Davis Facilitator because he suffered so much himself as a dyslexic and was overwhelmed by the positive impact this program made on his own life. And there are stories just like his from all over the world. In fact, it's taking off much bigger outside the US. It's almost like a cult ;-) It's very kinesthetic - very Montessori-like. The most important thing of all is that - at least for my son - it really works. In just 3 days the difference in Coleman is amazing.

On a related note, Thomas West has some compelling theories related to dylexics/ visual
thinkers - see the description and reviews of his book -
http://www.amazon.com/Minds-Eye-Thinkers-Difficulties-Creativity/dp/1573921556

I don't have the patience to be a Davis facilitator myself - but the whole thing (so many kids being misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD, the state of the education system, insurance not covering these types of treatments, etc) gets my blood boiling just enough to consider doing SOMETHING to help. But what?