KarenSchool

Parents today should no longer believe that they need to accept that their child will struggle academically throughout their entire academic career. There are many different therapies available that can strengthen a child’s central nervous system that will enable the child to improve or overcome their learning challanges.

I have tried many of these  therapies on my own children and with the students I have tutored with amazing results.  Drug therapy can be benefcial but should not be the long term solution.  We need to give our children’s brain a second chance by doing activities with them that will enable their brains to repair and develop fully.

On Wednesday April 25 – 7-9pm at South Common Community Centre (Youth room) I will be discussing alternative therapies and sharing some of my insights on teaching students for success.

Proceeds will be donated to Vianney Academy of Learning a non-profit group dedicated to helping youth with learning disabilities and mental illness.

The Turner Wellness centre in Barrie and Toronto offers chiropractic care to improve learning and overall health for all ages.  They have helped over 4000 families to have a better life for themselves and their child. I recently took my 3 children and myself to their office for treatment.  We have all had significant improvements in our emotional, physical and mental health.

My nine year old son Anthony who has been diagnosed with high functioning autism, Adhd, and a learning disability commented after his first week of treatments, ”I can control my body and mind now.  I have been upgraded just like a computer. When can I go again to get my next upgrade.”

My daughter Sarah who has been diagnosed with dyslexia, (she was able to read fluently before going to see Dr. Turner but she could only read about 30 pages in a row before feeling exhausted.)  after having approximately 15 adjustments she excitedly told me, “Mom, I read 150 pages this morning. I keep waiting to feel strained and tired but it is not happening anymore. I feel like I can read all day.”

My son Matthew had a concussion at the age of 9. This left him with a stutter. As he got older he became more self conscience of his stutter and  talked less to his family and friends.  He had lost confidence in his social skills and was reluctant to speak at all in a group setting.  He often found it hard to get his thoughts out. He expressed being too uncomfortable to participant in group conversation.  After Matthew’s first day of adjustments his stutter was 80% gone.  After twelve adjustments we no longer noticed it.  Matthew is confident, talkative, and much more social at home and with his friends. He literally walks taller.

I could go on and on. I highly recommend making an appointment with Dr. Turner.  He will make a positive difference for your whole family.

Turner Wellness Toronto: 416-534-8971 Barrie: 705-735-6999

Teaching a student with dyslexia can be discouraging at times.

You think the student has mastered a sound only to realize the next day that they have not.  So you start the lesson over again and again and again.

This experience can be frusterating for the student and teacher.  Stay positive and keep going.  Eventually the student will master the sound and you’ll move on to the next lesson.

Don’t place your expectations on the student.

Allow the student to master the sound before moving on to the next lesson so that they will not feel overwhelmed and frusterated.

Be patient!

Students process information at different speeds.  Let the child ask for help before giving a clue or the answer.  I’ve had students take up to 18 seconds to recall a sound or word.  (If you have a student that processes very slowly please read the post Beyond Tutoring).

If you are not able to be positive take a break.

Its ok to need a break. Give yourself a week and then begin again.

If you are not having success with your student or child please send me a comment I’d love to give you help.

An alternative program that helped my daughter with this problem is sound therapy. When it was first recommended to me from her educational psychologist I was skeptical but it has made a huge difference. My daughter went from reading 5 pages a day and feeling exhausted to reading a 100 page chapter book in a day in just 2 weeks of the therapy. That is what I call success! Remember these results occurred after my daughter had acquired fluency in her reading. If the student is not fluent they need to continue a multisensory program based on the Ortin-Gillingham approach to learn to decipher the written word in conjunction with a program that will increase processing speed such as Neurodevelpment through Movement or The Learning Breakthrough.  

In the meantime, continue to read to your child.  Ask your school board to have his textbooks put on tape or CD so that he can listen to them when he starts to feel fatigued.  Without the use of alternative therapies this problem will likely continue throughout his educational career and possibly his adult life.  He needs to become proffecient in the technologies available through his school that can bridge the gap in his learning.

Programs designed to increase processing speed, improve focus, improve memory, develop accurate perception, increase reading speed, improve tracking,  increase attention span and improve listening skills.

I will list the programs I have used with my own children and my students.

All of the programs on this list work and will make learning easier for your child. They all can be done in your home. They all have websites that you can visit to get more information.

I would not recommend you do more then 2 programs at a time. The programs I start first with my students is:

• “Neurodevelopment through Movement” and
• “Sound Therapy”.

But, all the programs on the list will benefit your child.

If you have a specific problem you are trying to address I can help you choose the program for your child.

1. The Learning Breakthrough
2. Neurodevelopment through movement by Susan Day
3. Move to Learn
4. Brain Gym
5. International Sound therapy 
6. Spacewalk
7. Audioblox

If a student recieves remedial help and learns to read they often remain slow readers well into their adult life. But, with a combination of remedial help and an exercise program designed for children with a learning disability the student will be able to read fluently within a few years.

Whether to homeschool your child or not is a big decision whether your child has a learning difficulty or not. If you are financially able to stay home with your child and you have the desire to teach your child then I would highly recommend it. Homeschooling can be challenging at times but it is very rewarding and fun. There are so many great programs you can buy to help teach your child regardless of their learning styles or challenges. The benefit to a child with a learning difficulty is even greater then the average student attending public school. One on One tutoring, specialized program, work at your own speed, the love, compassion, devotion of a parent, no peer preasure, abundance of time all help ensure your child will reach there full potential. But, it is work. If you do not like researching, teaching, networking (for homeschool friends) then I would look for an alternative way to meet your child education needs. Luckily, living in Canada we have lots of options.

Get a tutor for your child. Make sure the tutoring centre specializes in teaching reading to a dyslexic student. The program should be based on the Orton-Gillingham Approach.
A normal schedule is 3x a week for an hour for a minimal of 2 years. After the two years most students are able to read at a grade 6 level. The students progress will vary depending on the severity of the disability. For my daughter I was told a minimal of 4 years of tutoring 3x a week to complete the program which would enable her to read at a grade 6 level. I have yet to find a program that ensures fluency at a grade 6 level. So, although your child will be able to read it may take many years of practise before they have fluency.  Next, start reading, the more you understand your childs disability the easier it will be to parent as well as assist your child in their education.  There are lots of books available at the library that will help you understand your child better.  The first book I read about dyslexia was “Overcoming Dyslexia” by Sally Shaywitz,MD.  I found her book  easy to understand, very thorough and empowering.  I highly recommend it to all parents with children with reading difficulties.  Once you understand your childs disability educate their teachers.  Arrange for your child to have an IEP (individual educational plan).  Lastly, read to your child as much as possible.  While your child is learning to read many of their peers are reading independently.  To prevent your child from falling behind in vocabulary, reading comprehension, and general knowledge they need to be read to.  An alternative is books on tape. We did a combination of both.

In Canada it is recommended that the child has two full years of instruction before testing for dyslexia. A child can be given a pre-dyslexia determination test as young as four as long as they have had one year of formal instruction.