Breakthrough

So long ago Steve and I noticed a problem with Anthony's reading.  We were told by his 2nd grade teacher that he had ADHD.  I took him for the testing.  I was greeted by a doctor who introduced herself to me then handed me a pamphlet on ADHD medication. This was before she even had him tested.

We did decide to give the medicine a try, but it was a horrible experience for both us and him. The kid he became on medication was not our son.  I remembered his kindergarten teacher mentioning dyslexia to us but wasn't concerned about it.

So, I started doing major research on dyslexia.  I started to find out that so many of the same signs of ADHD are the same signs of dyslexia.  I found a book at the book store, but I just really wasn't sure about it.  I never did get it finished and instead started working with the school.

He started doing better, but then we moved here.  I love this area, not crazy about the schools.  One of the reasons we are homeschooling Jason.  Jason is starting to go down the same path as Anthony.  I really feel like the school here was just pushing Anthony through the system.  It became very  obvious to me that there was a serious problem when Anthony was filling out a job application.  I new he struggled with reading but I just never realized how bad.  Poor kid, because he is in no way stupid.

Having a conversation with a teacher I know, who is in another school district, recommended a book to me that they were using in their school.  It was that book I had bought so long ago.  I sat down and forced my way through it.

Anthony is not big on discussing his reading issues.  So when I would ask him, do you do this or that, his answer was always no.  I was really getting frustrated.  I finally asked him, when you imagine things can you see yourself like you are outside your body?  Ready for him to laugh at me because it sounded crazy.  He said, "yeah, I do that all the time."  Then he goes on to tell me stories about his imagination skills.  All of these things are HUGE dyslexia symptoms.  This ability to move your "minds eye" around makes someone a very creative person but a horrible reader.

Both of us were excited about this new development.  I finished the book.  The cure for this sounded crazy but both Anthony and I were willing to give it a try.  The book claims that people have gone up 8 reading grade levels and a 97% success rate.  The method is a little strange and really hard for me to describe to you.  Watching him working with his "minds eye" and going through these steps was amazing. 

20 minutes after we started this, I opened a book and asked him to read it.  After stumbling a couple of times on "trigger words" he did it.  I asked him how it felt and he smiled from ear to ear and said "I can't believe it work."

We still have work to do, but I have never seem him happier.  I can't explain "minds eye" and "trigger words" here, but watching him access these was amazing.  I never knew that he had this talent.  And now that he is aware of it, he has been having fun with it.  We have even made jokes about his "minds eye" and how it's hungry to.

I am going to start this same process with Jason and continue to work with Anthony.  I will keep you posted on both boys progress.  I was always happy I didn't have dyslexia, but know that I see the imagination skills that Anthony has, I am a little jealous.