WIZWORD DYSLEXIA
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Dyslexia - Maths - AD/HD
TOO CLEVER TO BE DYSLEXIC
Dyslexia is not tied to measurements of intelligence. In fact, dyslexia is commonly associated with above-average intelligence. That’s why parents and teacher are often baffled when a child who is obviously smart and capable struggles with reading and writing.
But parents are often obstructed when seeking help for their child in school. When they raise questions about their child’s struggles, they are often told that their child is “too clever” to have dyslexia. Sometimes even when the child is tested for learning difficulties, the result is that the child doesn’t test badly enough to qualify for services.
The parents might be told that their child is lazy, or just needs to try harder; or problems with academics may be mistakenly given other labels, such as Attention Deficit or or a behavioral disorder.
These statements are based on misinformation and can be harmful and discouraging to the child– who is probably working as hard as they know how. However, in a school setting, they can also reflect a sad reality: the “twice gifted” child is probably a poor match for the special education services available at the school, which may be geared to children who are much less capable. In fact, bright dyslexic children placed in special ed settings usually fare worse over time than counterparts who were given no support at all.
Fortunately, a formal diagnosis is not needed in order to get help. These hard-to-diagnose children progress very quickly when introduced to Davis tools and concepts.
They can quickly learn and embrace the Davis mental self-regulation skills. With the self-understanding and elimination of perceptual barriers that comes with a Davis program, these children often experience rapid and remarkable gains. After a Davis program, many are reading above their age level and are able to effectively apply their newly acquired skills to excel in school.
Professional services described as Davis®, including Davis® Dyslexia Correction, Davis® Symbol Mastery, Davis® Orientation Counseling, Davis® Attention Mastery, Davis® Math Mastery, and Davis® Reading Program for Young Learners may only be provided by persons who are trained and licensed as Davis Facilitators or Specialists by Davis Dyslexia Association International.
WHAT SETS DAVIS METHODS APART?
We view dyslexia as a result of an inherent mental gift or talent.
People who develop dyslexia think in pictures, rather than words; they are imaginative and creative; and they try to solve problems by looking at the whole picture, rather than working step-by-step.
When dyslexic students recognise their mental talents, they develop a renewed sense of self-esteem and confidence. When they start to employ study methods which capitalise on their talents, progress is very rapid.
Dyslexic students rely mostly on non-verbal thought processes. Since their primary mode of thought is to rely on pictures or other sensory impressions, they have difficulty thinking with the sounds of words and it is hard to try to read by breaking words down into component sounds. Rather than trying to force students to use a method that is inherently difficult for them, Davis methods teach a visual and meaning-based approach that is much easier for dyslexic people to learn and use. This in turn leads to much more rapid progress than with traditional instruction. Rather than the slow progress and laboured reading that often is seen with phonics-based methods, Davis strategies enable dyslexic students to become fluent, capable, and often enthusiastic readers.
A PROFESSIONAL DAVIS FACILITATOR AT YOUR SERVICE
Tania Blackmore-Squires
Why is it important to learn to read, or be able to add or subtract, or know what energy level to have when meeting people for the first time? Maybe you’ve never really thought about it but wondered why it’s difficult for you to make friends or be on the same wavelength. Maybe you’ve learnt strategies to hide the fact that reading, or numbers confuse you. As a teacher of over 20 years’ experience, I often came across children and adults who really struggle with the basic things in life, yet everyone else seems to just ‘get it.’ Then I discovered Davis. Davis programmes offer a real solution for people just like you who feel they have struggled with learning their whole life. I provide a gentle, caring approach in a friendly environment, which empowers you to take control, have less anxiety and feel you can. You will see huge improvements, feel more confident and much less confused. Call me today to see what I can do for you.
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HOW DID DAVIS METHODS COME ABOUT?
Ron Davis, himself a severely dyslexic adult, figured out how to ‘correct’ his own dyslexia before he ever came up with any theories about how to help others.
Until the age of 38, he had always accepted the official pronouncements of the experts who had diagnosed him as mentally retarded. Although he had a measured IQ of 160, he understood that he would never be able to read or write without an arduous struggle, because there was something terribly wrong with his brain.
Then he noticed that sometimes his dyslexia got worse. An engineer by training, he reasoned that if he could figure out how to make his dyslexia worse, he might somehow stumble on the key to making it better.
His first clue came from his artwork — he realised that when he was at his artistic best, he was at his dyslexic worst.
So he locked himself in a hotel room, and practiced making his dyslexia worse. Then he worked on making it better. After three days, a moment arrived when the letters on the hotel room guest card suddenly became legible to him. Stunned that the letters were all the same size, and that there were spaces between the words, he went to a public library, picked up the book ‘Treasure Island’ from the shelves, sat down, and read the book cover to cover before the library closed that day.
This was not the solution to dyslexia, but it was the beginning of a journey. Davis shared his ideas with others, discovering to his surprise that most of his artist friends were also dyslexic, and through a trial-and-error approach developed a reliable method for helping others to overcome their own dyslexia. About a year later, he opened his first reading clinic.
History of Davis Methods (© 2016 DDAI; Used with Permission) [Permission is also granted for use of the image with this article]
WHAT I CAN OFFER
You do not need to have had a diagnosis to have a Davis® programme.
INITIAL CONSULTATION
This is an opportunity for you to question me about Davis® techniques and methods to see if the programme is right for you. I will also ask a series of questions designed for me to make an assessment of which programe would best suit and the course of action to take. I'll show you how to make a Davis® model of a person out of plasticine, how to make 'ropes' as we need a lot during the programme and generally chat about your concerns and expectations. A typical consultation is about 2 - 3 hours.
DAVIS® DYSLEXIA CORRECTION
The Davis® Dyslexia Correction program is suitable for children age 8 and over, and adults of any age. Licensed Davis providers have successfully worked with many individuals over age 70. I will facilitate you through a series of activities designed to help you manage your disorientations caused by dyslexia.
DAVIS ® MATH MASTERY
Davis® Math Mastery provides tools to correct problems with learning maths. These learning problems are sometimes called dyscalculia and can often accompany dyslexia and ADHD symptoms.The Davis Maths programme is designed for those with little or no conceptual understanding. It addresses basic skills and understanding, forming a sold base to build new concepts on to. The program is appropriate for children age 8 and over, and adults of any age.
DAVIS ® ATTENTION MASTERY
Davis® Attention Mastery provides effective tools to help adults and children age 8 and over to address attention, behavioural, or organisational difficulties. The Davis approach gives individuals the tools to control their attention focus and energy level without reliance on drugs or nutritional supplements. These simple mental techniques can be learned quickly, without reliance on specialized equipment or gimmicks.
DAVIS ® READING PROGRAM FOR YOUNG LEARNERS
The Davis® Reading Program for Young Learners is an individualised learning enhancement program. During the program, I will work directly with your child, and at the same time provide hands-on training and guidance to either you or another responsible adult.
The program goal is to give children aged 5-8 the best possible start at the outset of their learning career.
DYSPRAXIA
Dyspraxia is sometimes called ‘clumsy child syndrome.’ The child or adult with dyspraxia may be chronically clumsy or accident-prone. The dyspraxic individual also has poor motor skills. For example, a child may have great difficulty holding a pencil and struggle tremendously with writing. Because of poor motor co-ordination, the child may also find it virtually impossible to learn to ride a bike, or to catch a ball.
Davis has found the Orientation procedure to be very helpful with dyspraxia. The ‘koosh ball’ excercise that accompanies Fine Tuning is particularly helpful to the individual with problems with large motor skills, balance, or hand/eye coordination. Orientation resolves the perceptual problems which underly many symptoms of dyspraxia. Many individuals report after doing Orientation that it is the first time in their lives they have felt ‘in balance’ rather than somehow being off-center.
DYSGRAPHIA
Davis views dyslexia as being a manifestation of a nonverbal thinking style. Most dyslexics can be described as visual-spatial thinkers. They think well using mental imagery, but have difficulty with some aspect of symbolic thinking, such as working with words and numbers.
These problems have another name – dysgraphia. Some educators prefer to label each problem differently and simply treat the symptoms, through tutoring or occupational therapy.
The Davis approach is different: we look at the underlying learning style, and focus on eliminating the barriers. We find that some of the underlying barriers are the same for those who can read well but have problems with writing as they are for those who can’t read at all.
When we look at the underlying thought process, we can understand how a child can have a dyslexic thinking style but also be a good reader. Being able to recognise written words in a book is a different matter than being able to produce them on your own, and people who think in pictures can have a very hard time putting their thoughts into words.
When a person fits that category, a Davis program will help overcome writing difficulties.
ADULTS AND DYSLEXIA
The methods described in the book The Gift of Dyslexia were originally developed for adults. Ron Davis was 38 when he made the initial discoveries that allowed him to read a book from cover to cover for the first time in his life. He then conducted his early research and experiments with adult dyslexic volunteers.
Why is the Davis Program a great fit for adults?
The Program is facilitated one-on-one and is designed to meet your specific goals and areas for improvement.
The Davis Program is a one-week, intensive program – no weekly visits!
Follow-up work is done independently – on your schedule and with no extra expense.
The program provides tools for focus, mental clarity, stress-management, energy-level management and skills that will ease reading difficulties.
The Davis Dyslexia Correction® program helps people with these characteristics every day. The disabling aspects of dyslexia are correctable and can be overcome.
I was skeptical at first. Installing tools? What did it all mean, but as the programme went on it made more sense and became clearer. We've got our son back, and I couldn't be more proud.
Jane Robinson
FREE ONLINE SCREENING FOR DYSLEXIA
This free, secure and confidential screening assessment will give a profile of learning strengths and weaknesses, including a measure of severity of symptoms.
Your answers are confidential. You do not need to provide any personal information to complete the assessment.
You can answer the questions for yourself, or you can use this evaluation as a way of learning more about the learning profile of a member of your family or a student you are working with.
Your results will be printed on screen as soon as you finish answering the questions. You will have an opportunity to print out your results at the end of the assessment.
Professional services described as Davis®, Davis Dyslexia Correction®, Davis Symbol Mastery®, Davis Orientation Counseling®, and Davis Math Mastery® may only be provided by persons who are trained and licensed by Davis Dyslexia Association International.
37 COMMON TRAITS OF DYSLEXIA
CONTACT ME
Tania Blackmore-Squires
The Old Dairy
Marsh Lane
Merston
PO20 1EE
07823471801
Davis® Programme Schedule of Fees
Davis Programme Assessment / Initial Meeting £95.00
Payable prior to assessment via bank transfer or cash on the day.
Standard Intensive Programmes:
· Davis Dyslexia Correction £2000.00
· Davis Attention Mastery - as first Davis Programme £2500.00
· Davis Maths Mastery - as first Davis Programme £2500.00
· Davis Maths Mastery - after prior Davis Programme £1800.00
· Davis Attention Mastery - after prior Davis Programme £1800.00
· Davis Reading Programme for Young Learners £2000.00
20% deposit is required, non refundable, to book your dates.
15% sibling discount
Fee covers:
· Main Programme (30 hours; 42 hours for Maths and Attention Mastery if first Davis programme)
· Unlimited follow-up consultations by zoom, skype or telephone
· Programme Review sessions (up to 6 hours of face-to-face follow-up, provided as needed)
· The Davis® kit for Symbol Mastery at home
Hourly rate
For bespoke Programmes and additional time £45.00 ph
Parent consultations and briefing £45.00 ph
Payment can be spread over up to twelve monthly, interest-free instalments.
Example:
Davis Dyslexia Correction
Total programme fee: £2000.00
Instalment schedule:
Deposit of £200.00 followed by ten monthly payments of £180.00
Gifts for Dyslexia is a small charity which assists families on low incomes to gain access to Davis Programmes, subject to availability of funds. Contact them for further details.
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