Comments on: Mark Hall’s Song of Success http://www.kidsenabled.org/articles/index.php/201001/mark-halls-song-of-success/ A Publication for Parents of Children with Learning Differences Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:36:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Karen http://www.kidsenabled.org/articles/index.php/201001/mark-halls-song-of-success/comment-page-1/#comment-1541 Karen Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:05:43 +0000 http://www.kidsenabled.org/articles/?p=710#comment-1541 I find it very inspiring to read stories such as the one above. My first memory of struggling in school was in first grade. I remember just staring at the words on the page of the Dick and Jane books. As much as I tried I just couldn't figure out how to put the letter sounds together to make a word. I remember literaly shaking, gasping for air and my stomach hurting. As the years progressed the shaking turned into inconsolable crying in class. My grades were bad and I felt like an idot compared to my peers. There was summer school, tutoring with my neighbors, the progress was slow and tedious. It wasn't until third grade when my teacher went to bat for me and had a conference with my parents and the principal. She was my hero and advocate. She was a true teacher in every sense of the word. I repeated third grade and the speech therapy I was already receiving became more frequent. I started to succeed. By the time I was in fourth grade things were really looking up, school and reading didn't seem as hard and the teachers were far more engaged in helping me become successful. I graduated high school half a semster early and attended college. Today I am a mother of three amazing sons and an advocate for children with learning differences. Two of my three sons have had to overcome the hurdles of Dyslexia and ADD, one of which is now in college. My other son, struggles with Bipolar Disorder and Tourettes and had speech difficulties when he was younger. He to is successful as he has been in gifted classes for the last four years. My youngest, well he is still struggling but has come a long, long ways from where he was. He is bright, happy and determined. The one piece of advice I would like to give parents of children struggling with a learning disability is to never, ever give up. You know your child better then anyone, you know what they are capable of, don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. If I had listened to my oldest son's school counselors, he would not have graduated with a dual college prep diploma and technical endorsment and he sure would not be carrying a 3.6 grade point average in college. Your children will learn to read, compute math calculations and compose written documents, it all comes down to how they are taught. Our children learn with a different part of their brain, they need to be taught accordingly. I find it very inspiring to read stories such as the one above. My first memory of struggling in school was in first grade. I remember just staring at the words on the page of the Dick and Jane books. As much as I tried I just couldn’t figure out how to put the letter sounds together to make a word. I remember literaly shaking, gasping for air and my stomach hurting. As the years progressed the shaking turned into inconsolable crying in class. My grades were bad and I felt like an idot compared to my peers. There was summer school, tutoring with my neighbors, the progress was slow and tedious. It wasn’t until third grade when my teacher went to bat for me and had a conference with my parents and the principal. She was my hero and advocate. She was a true teacher in every sense of the word. I repeated third grade and the speech therapy I was already receiving became more frequent. I started to succeed. By the time I was in fourth grade things were really looking up, school and reading didn’t seem as hard and the teachers were far more engaged in helping me become successful. I graduated high school half a semster early and attended college.

Today I am a mother of three amazing sons and an advocate for children with learning differences. Two of my three sons have had to overcome the hurdles of Dyslexia and ADD, one of which is now in college. My other son, struggles with Bipolar Disorder and Tourettes and had speech difficulties when he was younger. He to is successful as he has been in gifted classes for the last four years. My youngest, well he is still struggling but has come a long, long ways from where he was. He is bright, happy and determined.

The one piece of advice I would like to give parents of children struggling with a learning disability is to never, ever give up. You know your child better then anyone, you know what they are capable of, don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. If I had listened to my oldest son’s school counselors, he would not have graduated with a dual college prep diploma and technical endorsment and he sure would not be carrying a 3.6 grade point average in college.

Your children will learn to read, compute math calculations and compose written documents, it all comes down to how they are taught. Our children learn with a different part of their brain, they need to be taught accordingly.

]]> By: Marie http://www.kidsenabled.org/articles/index.php/201001/mark-halls-song-of-success/comment-page-1/#comment-231 Marie Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:24:21 +0000 http://www.kidsenabled.org/articles/?p=710#comment-231 Hi Shahnoor, No, the only options I've found are testing. I've read alot and looked closely at the symptoms, but other than testing by a dyslexia specialist or a complete evaluation by the Child Developmental Clinic in my area, I have not found another option. Could you explain the other avenues you're referring to? I know the Scottish Rite will perform a test, but I don't have one in my area. Thanks for your words of encouragement, I definitely feel better about the situation, but at first it was a bit overwhelming. I'm sure there will be other times that I'll feel overwhelmed, but for the sake of my 7 year old AND my 4 year old, whom I suspect may also be dyslexic, I'm going to get thru this and we WILL succeed because I won't give up until they're able to read. Marie Hi Shahnoor,
No, the only options I’ve found are testing. I’ve read alot and looked closely at the symptoms, but other than testing by a dyslexia specialist or a complete evaluation by the Child Developmental Clinic in my area, I have not found another option. Could you explain the other avenues you’re referring to? I know the Scottish Rite will perform a test, but I don’t have one in my area.

Thanks for your words of encouragement, I definitely feel better about the situation, but at first it was a bit overwhelming. I’m sure there will be other times that I’ll feel overwhelmed, but for the sake of my 7 year old AND my 4 year old, whom I suspect may also be dyslexic, I’m going to get thru this and we WILL succeed because I won’t give up until they’re able to read.

Marie

]]> By: Shahnoor Dharamsi MS, OTR/L http://www.kidsenabled.org/articles/index.php/201001/mark-halls-song-of-success/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Shahnoor Dharamsi MS, OTR/L Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:28:00 +0000 http://www.kidsenabled.org/articles/?p=710#comment-115 Hello Marie, I am sure learning that your child may have a learning disability may be very difficult at the moment. In this case, knowledge is power. There are certainly other ways that you can find out if your child is dyslexic and other tests that can be completed, have you looked at other avenues? There are many strategies and teaching techniques that can be utilized to help a child that has dyslexia. The first step is diagnosing or rather figuring out the problem; once this is completed, there are different avenues that can help your son. Sincerely, Shahnoor Dharamsi MS, OTR/L Pediatric Occupational Therapist Hello Marie,
I am sure learning that your child may have a learning disability may be very difficult at the moment. In this case, knowledge is power. There are certainly other ways that you can find out if your child is dyslexic and other tests that can be completed, have you looked at other avenues?

There are many strategies and teaching techniques that can be utilized to help a child that has dyslexia. The first step is diagnosing or rather figuring out the problem; once this is completed, there are different avenues that can help your son.

Sincerely,
Shahnoor Dharamsi MS, OTR/L
Pediatric Occupational Therapist

]]> By: Marie http://www.kidsenabled.org/articles/index.php/201001/mark-halls-song-of-success/comment-page-1/#comment-86 Marie Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:15:39 +0000 http://www.kidsenabled.org/articles/?p=710#comment-86 I'm amazed at finding this article, the timing can only be providential. I am a homeschool mom of four children. My second son is 7 1/2 and struggling to learn how to read. He told his Sunday School teacher last week that he couldn't read. When my husband heard that he immediatley thought of Mark Hall. After contacting a specialist, we were told yesterday that he may be dyslexic. I was shocked! In order to know for sure would require a very expensive test, so for now we're just going to commit him to our Father and see what happens. I'm praying that God will guide us to the correct teaching solution for him. He's the most loving child I've ever met and he's the hardest worker I've ever seen. If anyone can work hard and over come, it's him. I just have to figure out how to help him. Thanks for sharing! Marie I’m amazed at finding this article, the timing can only be providential. I am a homeschool mom of four children. My second son is 7 1/2 and struggling to learn how to read. He told his Sunday School teacher last week that he couldn’t read. When my husband heard that he immediatley thought of Mark Hall. After contacting a specialist, we were told yesterday that he may be dyslexic. I was shocked! In order to know for sure would require a very expensive test, so for now we’re just going to commit him to our Father and see what happens. I’m praying that God will guide us to the correct teaching solution for him. He’s the most loving child I’ve ever met and he’s the hardest worker I’ve ever seen. If anyone can work hard and over come, it’s him. I just have to figure out how to help him.
Thanks for sharing!
Marie

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