So says Ron Davis, Founder of the Davis Dyslexia Association International in his book called The Gift of Dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a term associated with learning disabilities, and often causes difficulties in developing basic academic skills including reading, writing and math. There is a perception that it is linked to lower intellectual ability. Ron Davis is dedicated to dispelling this myth.
Davis believes that dyslexia is caused by a different way of thinking. He believes that dyslexic individuals think in pictures, not sounds, letters and words. They rely on visual association to interpret words, and tend to add and/or substitute words and letters while reading, so their finished product includes additional or missing letters and inconsistent spelling.
There are many challenges in a traditional learning setting for those with dyslexia. These students have trouble with concepts of time, learning names and shapes, letter names and sounds, use context clues to read rather than sounding out words, skip words like “at”, “to” and “the” because there is no visual image for them, and have trouble memorizing facts or rote memory patterns like days of the week. Their rooms are usually a mess, they have poor organizational skills and terrible hand writing. Many of them drop out of school out of frustration.
A reluctance to read, persistent spelling issues and incomplete homework assignments are often misinterpreted as the result of a motivational issue rather than a perception issue. These students can be labeled as behavioural problems in the classroom. Frustration abounds for teachers and students, who often become demoralized because they are not achieving at the same pace as their classmates.
Stewart Hall resident Samantha Cameron and her daughter Mackenzie subscribe to the Davis Dyslexia Correction program that uses the dyslexic’s natural gifts to overcome the learning challenges associated with this kind of interpretation of their world. The pair hopes to get information available to parents, teachers and students struggling with these challenges, offering a different perspective and better options to remove what they call “blockages to learning”. They both speak with some authority on the topic as they are both dyslexic themselves, and understand firsthand the challenges and opportunities that come with this visual learning style.
An experienced educator, Samantha Cameron noticed that her daughter Mackenzie was frustrated and struggling at school. At age ten, Mackenzie spent a week with a Davis Dyslexia facilitator and that changed her into a confident, motivated learner. Now an adult, Mackenzie is dedicating her career to helping others find the tools to “unblock” the learning challenges that come with dyslexia. A licensed Dyslexia facilitator, she now operates a business called Unlocking Potential, offering a week-long program called “Unlocking Potential” where she works one-on-one with students to help them develop effective pathways to learning.
Dyslexia is a learning style, not a disease or a physical condition that can be cured, treated or will resolve itself over time, nor should it be. The brains of dyslexic people are organized differently, so they need different teaching methods. They are not linear thinkers, but see the big picture, and are master multi-taskers. When they fiddle and avoid eye contact, they do so because it helps them focus. Once this visual thinking style is understood, with a few adaptations to learning strategies, it can become an advantage instead of a disadvantage.
Mackenzie and Samantha hope to spread the word about this learning style help struggling students, their families and educators offering insight into the perceptual gifts and talents that often accompany this learning style along with effective strategies to overcome the underlying learning challenges. In addition to a variety of books and resource material, networking opportunities and a monthly newsletter, they offer access to a comprehensive and searchable research data base offering a variety of resources and ultimately, hope for students and their families.
Through speaking engagements, newsletters and workshops, they seek to offer help and hope to discouraged learners, educators and families and share the many advantages of functioning with a visual brain. These people are equipped with powerful imaginations, intuitive problem-solving and out-of-the box thinking. In fact, some of the world’s best creative minds are dyslexic- including Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs and Steven Spielberg.
Twenty percent of the population has some degree of dyslexia. Before we assume that the doodler, the dreamer or the perennially disorganized among us lack discipline and focus, we could consider that they see life differently, and that is a gift.
To learn more, visit their Facebook page Unlockingpotentialptbo or contact them at info.unlockingpotential@gmail.com. KG