When the idea of Parker having Dyslexia first came to mind, I viewed Dyslexia with having reading, spelling, and writing problems and reversing letters. Yes, these problems do exist along with others, but I have also learned that individuals that are Dyslexic also have abilities that many other individuals do not experience.
These are the abilities that Ronald Davis has listed in The Gift of Dyslexia.
1. They can utilize the brain's ability to alter and create perceptions.
2. They are highly aware of the environment.
3. They are more curious than average.
4. They think mainly in pictures instead of words.
5. They are highly intuitive and insightful.
6. They think and perceive multi-dimensionally (using all senses).
7. They can experience thought as reality.
8. They have a vivid imagination.
These are abilities that I see in Parker. It is exciting to know that there are gifts that Parker possesses due to how he perceives things, but with those gifts come some obstacles.
There are two kinds of thought verbal conceptualization (thinking with the sounds of words) and nonverbal conceptualization (thinking with mental pictures of concepts or ideas). Most people think using verbal conceptualization. About 20% think using nonverbal conceptualization. Our education system primarily centers around verbal conceptualization. That leaves 20% of our kiddos trying to learn in away that is not aligned with their way of thinking.
(Sorry if the above was a bit mind numbing, but I want to explain a little bit about Dyslexia. There is certainly more to it, but I'm hoping that this will help as I share about Parker's experience in the Davis program.)
After Cyndi identified areas that were of concern to Parker and me, she began with Parker identifying his "mind's eye". The mind's eye is what views a person's mental images or is what looks at our imagination. (This is somewhat involved and I won't go into detail but is explained thoroughly in The Gift of Dyslexia.) Parker was able to do this with ease:)
There is a great deal filtering through my mind that I want to share. Unfortunately, I am somewhat slow at expressing my thoughts through writing. More to come tomorrow!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Parker is a day and a half into the Davis Dyslexia Program and I am so excited about all that he has learned! I felt a huge pull toward the Davis Program, but I have to admit there was a small part of me that was a bit skeptical. We live in a society that wants or maybe even expects a quick fix, but many times the quick fix is a band-aid that covers the wound but doesn't correct it. So when I met with Cyndi (the Davis Facilitator) and she mentioned that Parker would experience significant improvement in a week's time, I certainly had some doubts. Those doubts and skepticism no longer exist!
Monday morning started out with Parker rating himself on a scale of 1-5 on several different categories- reading, writing, spelling, math, sports, interests, relationships, writing, communication. It was eye-opening to hear where he saw himself. This is something that I would love to try individually with students. Later I filled out the same questionnaire about Parker from my perspective. This information allowed Cyndi to have a clear understanding of possible triggers that Parker may experience. A trigger is anything that causes disorientation. Disorientation is the loss of one's position or direction in relation to other things; a state of mind in which mental perceptions do not agree with the true facts and conditions of the environment.
Monday morning started out with Parker rating himself on a scale of 1-5 on several different categories- reading, writing, spelling, math, sports, interests, relationships, writing, communication. It was eye-opening to hear where he saw himself. This is something that I would love to try individually with students. Later I filled out the same questionnaire about Parker from my perspective. This information allowed Cyndi to have a clear understanding of possible triggers that Parker may experience. A trigger is anything that causes disorientation. Disorientation is the loss of one's position or direction in relation to other things; a state of mind in which mental perceptions do not agree with the true facts and conditions of the environment.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Before sharing more of our twists and turns, I want to express how much I appreciate all the wonderful people that have crossed our paths during Parker’s school years. We have continually been blessed with an incredible group of teachers, friends, and staff at our school! I couldn’t ask for better people to be surrounding us.
So where does a person go when they are looking for answers? There's nowhere better than the world wide web! I was lucky to stumble across a site that talked about the 37 characteristics of Dyslexia. http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm As I read through them, I was amazed at how many traits and behaviors I saw in Parker, 27 out of the 37. At this point, I was determined to learn as much as I could about Dyslexia.
My next question was, "Where can I get help?" I kept coming back to the same site listed above. There is a book on the site, The Gift of Dyslexia, by Ronald Davis. Once I had my hands on the book, I had it read in a couple of days. I then contacted, Cyndi Deneson.,a Certified Facilitator and Supervisor-Specialist licensed with the Davis program, located in Edina.
Parker and I met with Cyndi. She did a couple of assessments with Parker, which confirmed the possibility of Parker struggling with Dyslexia. The next step was for Parker’s dad to meet with Cyndi and me to go over the assessments and to explain the program. Much to my surprise, Parker’s dad was on board. He felt that he could relate to much of Parker’s struggles because he too struggled with many of the same things as a child. There was no question in our minds that the Davis program would be beneficial for Parker.
I feel considerably lucky that I stumbled upon the Davis Program, but with my excitement, there have been some detours along the way, many feeling like roadblocks.
One detour that has presented itself is getting a diagnosis and the need for a diagnosis. This has been more difficult than I ever anticipated. The primary reason for wanting a diagnosis is so that Parker would be eligible to receive accommodations at school after completing the program.
About 4 weeks ago we met with our pediatrician, I explained the struggles that Parker was experiencing and asked if she could give us a diagnosis. (During our appointment with her she brought up the possibility of ADD. I mention this now because I plan on sharing more of my thoughts and feelings about ADD at another time.) She was unable to help us and referred us to a Child’s Psychiatrist. Yesterday, Parker had an appointment with a Child Psychiatrist. The psychiatrist asked what our goal of meeting with her was. I expressed to her that our need of a diagnosis was to receive accommodations at school that would support the Davis Program. She said that it is very difficult to diagnosis Dyslexia and that she would have to refer us to a specialist. (She too brought up testing for ADD.) She proceeded to tell me that the waiting list to see a specialist was out at least 6 months. I told her that I needed something by next week because Parker is scheduled to start the Davis program then. She thought with the information that she had gathered from us that she could come up with some diagnosis possibly of depression and/or anxiety due to learning difficulties and that this would at least open things up at school for the possibility of some help.
Having experience in the education field, I knew there would be some hoops we would need to jump through, but certainly didn’t anticipate it to be quite like this. I have a different appreciation for all the parents out there who are strong advocates for their children!
Next Monday, Parker starts the Davis Program. YEAH!!! My goal is to keep a daily blog of our journey about our week at the Davis Program and explain more about the program.
So where does a person go when they are looking for answers? There's nowhere better than the world wide web! I was lucky to stumble across a site that talked about the 37 characteristics of Dyslexia. http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm As I read through them, I was amazed at how many traits and behaviors I saw in Parker, 27 out of the 37. At this point, I was determined to learn as much as I could about Dyslexia.
My next question was, "Where can I get help?" I kept coming back to the same site listed above. There is a book on the site, The Gift of Dyslexia, by Ronald Davis. Once I had my hands on the book, I had it read in a couple of days. I then contacted, Cyndi Deneson.,a Certified Facilitator and Supervisor-Specialist licensed with the Davis program, located in Edina.
Parker and I met with Cyndi. She did a couple of assessments with Parker, which confirmed the possibility of Parker struggling with Dyslexia. The next step was for Parker’s dad to meet with Cyndi and me to go over the assessments and to explain the program. Much to my surprise, Parker’s dad was on board. He felt that he could relate to much of Parker’s struggles because he too struggled with many of the same things as a child. There was no question in our minds that the Davis program would be beneficial for Parker.
I feel considerably lucky that I stumbled upon the Davis Program, but with my excitement, there have been some detours along the way, many feeling like roadblocks.
One detour that has presented itself is getting a diagnosis and the need for a diagnosis. This has been more difficult than I ever anticipated. The primary reason for wanting a diagnosis is so that Parker would be eligible to receive accommodations at school after completing the program.
About 4 weeks ago we met with our pediatrician, I explained the struggles that Parker was experiencing and asked if she could give us a diagnosis. (During our appointment with her she brought up the possibility of ADD. I mention this now because I plan on sharing more of my thoughts and feelings about ADD at another time.) She was unable to help us and referred us to a Child’s Psychiatrist. Yesterday, Parker had an appointment with a Child Psychiatrist. The psychiatrist asked what our goal of meeting with her was. I expressed to her that our need of a diagnosis was to receive accommodations at school that would support the Davis Program. She said that it is very difficult to diagnosis Dyslexia and that she would have to refer us to a specialist. (She too brought up testing for ADD.) She proceeded to tell me that the waiting list to see a specialist was out at least 6 months. I told her that I needed something by next week because Parker is scheduled to start the Davis program then. She thought with the information that she had gathered from us that she could come up with some diagnosis possibly of depression and/or anxiety due to learning difficulties and that this would at least open things up at school for the possibility of some help.
Having experience in the education field, I knew there would be some hoops we would need to jump through, but certainly didn’t anticipate it to be quite like this. I have a different appreciation for all the parents out there who are strong advocates for their children!
Next Monday, Parker starts the Davis Program. YEAH!!! My goal is to keep a daily blog of our journey about our week at the Davis Program and explain more about the program.
Friday, March 2, 2012
I am one of those moms that started reading to my babies the day they came home from the hospital. I had come across a lot of information that said that it was never too early to start reading to your children and how much impact it had on how well of a reader your child will be. I have continued to read to both of my kids through the years. I was glad that they enjoyed being read to and was sure that my kids would find reading easy and enjoyable. I so wanted this for them as I struggled with reading and didn't find enjoyment in it until my late teens/or early twenties. Well to my dismay and many hours of cozying up and reading a book, both of my kids have found reading to be a struggle.
I clearly remember Parker's Kindergarten teacher telling me that it seemed as if every time she pulled out a book to read Parker would pipe up and say "I have already read that one with my mom". All of his teachers through the years have commented on how he would intently listen to a book being read aloud and how his big eyes were filled with excitement. So then why is he struggling so with reading?
Looking back now I can see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, but at the time each piece was its own part.
Parker was my second born. I felt that since I was a mom of two, and had to divide my time and energy among two kiddos that I would fill out a monthly milestone assessment on Parker that was offered through the county. Parker scored average on everything with the exception of small motor and speech development which was just a bit below. When he started preschool his writing was pretty much unrecognizable. We also had him assessed for speech, but he didn't qualify for any extra services. The following year we walked into Kindergarten open house and he was asked to write his name. I was amazed at how difficult this was for him and at how well many of the other kids could print their names. I remember thinking to myself -- I should have pushed him more this summer.-- I have an education degree and I couldn't even teach my own child to print his own name. In the middle of his Kindergarten year, he was pulled out of the classroom for short periods of time to read one on one. Then first grade was upon us. At the beginning of the year, he was put into a program called Reading Recovery. Each day for a half-hour, Parker was with a reading specialist one on one. We certainly saw some improvement, but I remember the teacher being confused about certain aspects of how he would tackle reading and how one day could be so different from the next. Parker graduated from that program in January. In fact, he had improved so much that he didn't qualify for any other services. The teachers and I were very excited. Unfortunately, the improvements that he had made did not carry over into second grade. I do remember hearing that many kids can lose 15% of what they learned the previous year over summer vacation, but what we noticed was a much more significant loss.
Our first second grade parent-teacher conference felt like a disaster. Parker's teacher shared with us the many concerns that she had and what she was seeing in the classroom. - not keeping up with daily work, hiding mistakes, frustration, organization issues, and below average reading scores just to name a few. I expressed that I felt that we were missing something and wanted to know where we could get help. On my way out that evening, I stopped in talk with a coworker/friend in the special education department. She was kind enough to hear my concerns and peeked at Parker’s scores and work samples. She said we certainly could go through the motions of getting tested, but felt that with what she was seeing that he would not qualify for services. I left school that night with no sense of direction of what to do and where to get help.
I clearly remember Parker's Kindergarten teacher telling me that it seemed as if every time she pulled out a book to read Parker would pipe up and say "I have already read that one with my mom". All of his teachers through the years have commented on how he would intently listen to a book being read aloud and how his big eyes were filled with excitement. So then why is he struggling so with reading?
Looking back now I can see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, but at the time each piece was its own part.
Parker was my second born. I felt that since I was a mom of two, and had to divide my time and energy among two kiddos that I would fill out a monthly milestone assessment on Parker that was offered through the county. Parker scored average on everything with the exception of small motor and speech development which was just a bit below. When he started preschool his writing was pretty much unrecognizable. We also had him assessed for speech, but he didn't qualify for any extra services. The following year we walked into Kindergarten open house and he was asked to write his name. I was amazed at how difficult this was for him and at how well many of the other kids could print their names. I remember thinking to myself -- I should have pushed him more this summer.-- I have an education degree and I couldn't even teach my own child to print his own name. In the middle of his Kindergarten year, he was pulled out of the classroom for short periods of time to read one on one. Then first grade was upon us. At the beginning of the year, he was put into a program called Reading Recovery. Each day for a half-hour, Parker was with a reading specialist one on one. We certainly saw some improvement, but I remember the teacher being confused about certain aspects of how he would tackle reading and how one day could be so different from the next. Parker graduated from that program in January. In fact, he had improved so much that he didn't qualify for any other services. The teachers and I were very excited. Unfortunately, the improvements that he had made did not carry over into second grade. I do remember hearing that many kids can lose 15% of what they learned the previous year over summer vacation, but what we noticed was a much more significant loss.
Our first second grade parent-teacher conference felt like a disaster. Parker's teacher shared with us the many concerns that she had and what she was seeing in the classroom. - not keeping up with daily work, hiding mistakes, frustration, organization issues, and below average reading scores just to name a few. I expressed that I felt that we were missing something and wanted to know where we could get help. On my way out that evening, I stopped in talk with a coworker/friend in the special education department. She was kind enough to hear my concerns and peeked at Parker’s scores and work samples. She said we certainly could go through the motions of getting tested, but felt that with what she was seeing that he would not qualify for services. I left school that night with no sense of direction of what to do and where to get help.
Friday, February 24, 2012
My hope in writing this blog is to reach other families whose journey is being touched by Dyslexia.
I was sitting at the computer this afternoon reading articles and searching sites about Dyslexia when I felt the need to share our journey.
I am a single mom with two incredible kids. I graduated from college with an elementary education degree. I taught third grade for two years. I then took eight years off to raise my kiddos. In the past couple of years, I have had a couple long term subbing positions and continue to sub on a weekly basis. Being back in the classroom setting has been an amazing gift!
My son, Parker, who just celebrated his eighth birthday, was assessed for Dyslexia last week. (I have yet to have him diagnosed, which I will explain more about later.) Parker is a second grader with bright eyes, a zest for life, a sense of humor, and a heart of gold. But he struggles at school with reading, organization, daily work, and staying focused. And amazingly enough, there are no behavior issues.
As I share our story, I struggle with where to begin. In the past couple of months, I have had lots floating around in my mind. I have tried to retrace the steps of Parker's life for clues. I have asked many questions. Where I failed as a parent? What I could have done differently? Am I leading him down the right path? What my expectations should be? (I don't want him to use Dyslexia as an excuse to get out of learning and becoming all that he is capable of becoming!) And most of all, how can Parker find confidence in his amazing gifts, talents, and abilities?
I am a true believer that the life experiences that we are given are a gift. I have wondered why this has come into our lives. I know for Parker, he will gain strength and understanding that will prove to be a great tool throughout his life. As for me, I am hoping to take what I have learned and help other kiddos or families struggling with Dyslexia. I am excited about all the possibilities!
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