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!