| With all of our modern technologies and | | | | are two ways that you can go: Give him a soccer |
| techniques, why is it that there seems to be an | | | | shirt and send him out on the field to play in the |
| ever increasing number of children with Learning | | | | top division. You know what will happen? The |
| Disabilities? You can pay hundreds of dollars for | | | | other kids will play him off the pitch, and he will |
| tests that yield diagnoses like dyslexia, ADHD, | | | | return to you depressed and feeling like a failure, |
| scotopic sensitivity and learning disabilities, but | | | | or...Take him to football practice and learn the skills |
| rarely do you ever get any clear guidance of | | | | of the game: Let the coach teach him to kick, |
| what to do to help the situation. | | | | pass, shoot, head and trap the ball, how to tackle |
| So many theories, so many ideas, yet so many | | | | and play his position. If he does this first, then |
| children seem to miss out on the learning | | | | when he gets out on the field, he can hold his |
| experience that they deserve. If the definition of | | | | own and have a reasonable chance of doing well |
| insanity is doing the same thing over and over | | | | in the game. |
| expecting a different result, then most remedial | | | | Funny thing is, when we keep forcing our children |
| help for children with learning difficulties is insanity. | | | | to do homework and remedial reading that they |
| Surely there must be an alternative method in | | | | hate, it is just like giving them a jersey and |
| treating these conditions, instead of simply | | | | sending them out to play. Just as frustrating, just |
| repeating the agony of reading over and over | | | | as discouraging, and just as pointless. |
| again! | | | | As an Optometrist working in the field for 2 |
| Pretty heavy statements I know, but if you are | | | | decades, I recognize that the majority of children |
| a parent struggling with your child and learning | | | | with learning disabilities have visual problems. That |
| disabilities, then the agony of homework and | | | | is not to say they cannot see, because almost all |
| constantly plugging away with your child teaching | | | | of them can. The main problem is that they do |
| them reading, is enough to drive you insane! As | | | | not develop the necessary skills to learn, read, |
| another painful bout of homework looms this | | | | write and spell effectively. |
| afternoon, I am sure that many of you are | | | | We have discovered that, using the correct |
| saying to yourself, "Surely there must be | | | | therapy to train visual skills, every child with |
| something more I can do that is actually going to | | | | learning difficulties can improve. That's right, it is |
| work! | | | | not a misprint, I did in fact say EVERY CHILD. |
| "The analogy that I use for children and learning | | | | How can they not improve? We are simply |
| difficulties involves one of my favorite things in | | | | teaching them skills. If a player goes to football |
| the world... football!I know, I know, you ladies just | | | | practice, they will improve as well. So our way is |
| don't want to know anything about football, but | | | | simple, and it's different. Take a pause from the |
| please take a moment and bear with me as I | | | | game, and TEACH THE CHILD THE SKILLS THEY |
| explain. For all you soccer moms, you will relate to | | | | NEED TO PLAY THE GAME OF READING! |
| this: if you want your child to play football, there | | | | |