Financial Support: Danielle’s Foundation

Welcome:  You have come upon a blog whose focus is primarily offering tools for dyslexics and hyperlexics. I have both conditions.  The material is also germane for parents and therapists.  The topic, this time, is financial support.  Occasionally I come across names of institutions or individuals who offer financial support.   I will update this list as I discovered more information.

Danielle’s Foundation is a comprehensive support and resource center for parents, caregivers, and loved ones of children with cerebral palsy and brain injury.  Recently they have annouced a grant program.   The first deadline has been extended to April 7th, 2010.

Here is what their press announcement states:

In keeping with our mission to help parents of children with cerebral palsy and brain injury get the care their children desperately need, we have developed a grant program to assist deserving families in getting the necessary therapy/ medical equipment for their children (which insurance has either denied or will not cover).

Our grants are based on need and will be given out on a quarterly basis. Each grant will range from $2,000-$5,000.

To apply your child MUST be under 18 years old, have a diagnosis of cerebral palsy or brain injury, and need assistance in getting therapy or medical equipment. For more information and to receive a grant application please call our toll free hotline 1-800-996-1148 or  

For more information and to receive a grant application please call our toll free hotline 1-800-996-1148 or http://www.daniellesfoundation.org .

If you have topics that you would like me to address about my experience in overcoming dyslexia and hyperlexia feel free to send your ideas through the comments below.

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Information on this blog is intended to complement, not replace, the advice of your own physician or health care professional

Hyperlexia & Dyslexic On-line Sources

Welcome:  You have come upon a blog whose focus is primarily offering tools for dyslexics and hyperlexics. I have both conditions.  The material is also germane for parents and therapists.  The topic, this time, is hyperlexia and dyslexia on-line resources.  Some of these contacts I have had first hand experience and others not.  I indicate the latter.

http://www.masgutovamethod.com

This website provides details on the Masgutova Method – an approach that considers the health of reflexes of a child and an adult. Her techniques to correct under-developed reflexes was a major component in my overcoming the negatives of hyperlexia.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/childrenwithchallenges.

An excellent support group for parents, therapists interested in or working with the Masgutova Method.

http://www.lindamoodbell.com

This organization provides excellent dyslexia and hyperlexia assessments and offers effective tools to overcome the mechanics of both conditions.

http://www.braingym.org

An organization founded by a dyslexic thirty or more years ago and offers movement exercises that are very effective in dealing with learning issues.

http://www.dyslexia-program.com.  This is a British Newsletter that comes out bi-monthly.  Written byJohn Bradford the online newsletter has 28,000 subscribers.

http://www.parentseducationnetwork.org

A San Francisco-based organization assembled by parents of dyslexics, ADD etc.  They are very active, presenting an ongoing program of resources for parents as well as  programs for learning challenged children.

http://www.audiobooksgalore.com/books/hebrew-magazine.

I came across this website.  It has an interesting article on dyslexia, hyperlexia and other topics. The author is succinct in her presentation and the information useful.

http://www.interdys.org/ An international organization focussed only on dyslexia.  It’s large and has a major annual meeting. I find the information they offer is very limited in scope.  They are hesitant to introduce any approaches that have not been through the scientific process.  As a result they are not a progressive group.

www.danieljvance.com

Mr. Vance writes a newspaper column about people with disabilities. He focusses on writing their personal story from their viewpoint avoiding the trap of making them out to be victims or superheroes. He sees them just as people. He did an article on my story and it was very geniune.  This is the link to the story: http://www.danieljvance.com/disabledweek402a.html

http://www.dore.co.uk

I read about this organization from a  newspaper report describing the ability of a 12 year-old, Laura Miles, to overcome her dyslexia and coordination problems. The article reported that Dore’s process offers “a series of simple exercises designed to target an area of the brain called the cerebellum.  Dore believes the cerebellum is the root cause of learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder), ADHD and Asperger’s syndrome.

Laura had to do exercises for 10 minutes, twice a day, in the morning and at night. Her exercises included juggling bean bags – for eye-tracking and to help co-ordination; a wobble board – to help stimulate and improve balance; and an eye chart – to give the person different things to focus on.”

These exercises sound very much like the Brain Gym approach which I found very helpful.

http://www.beingdyslexic.co.uk

I came upon the Being Dyslexic website found their material helpful. This site  provides a range of dyslexia information for people of all ages and situations who are either dyslexic or interested in dyslexia. Everything on Being Dyslexic is free and accessible for anyone to use and share. Being Dyslexic also hosts one of the largest dyslexia community forums on the internet.  They suggest: why not “pop along” (very British phrase) today and discuss dyslexia with other people!

http://roosclues.blogspot.com

A mother reports on her discovery that her child had excess histamine in the body. She feels this condition is a part of the reason of her child’s hyperlexia.

http://www.resources-teachers.com

I came across this website as they picked  my article.  It’s valuable for teachers.

http://www.dyslexia-adults.com

This website offers a free newsletter (they have 30,000 subscribers). John Bradford is the editor and has over thirty years experience of working with children, teenagers, college students and dyslexic adults; he has worked as a lecturer in education, as a school principal/head teacher, and has been involved in advising, counseling and teaching dyslexic children and adults from age 4 to age 72!  The site covers dyslexia testing and assessment, teaching dyslexic children, advice for parents of a dyslexic child, coping techniques for dyslexic adults, free magazine articles, research, and much, much more.

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If you have topics that you would like me to address about my experience in overcoming dyslexia and hyperlexia feel free to send your ideas through the comments below.

__________________________________________________________

Information on this blog is intended to complement, not replace, the advice of your own physician or health care professional

Senses: See, hear, taste, touch, smell

Welcome:  You have come upon a blog which primarily discusses tools to help dyslexics and hyperlexics. I have both conditions.  The topic, this time, are senses: see, hear, taste, touch, smell.

When I began exploring how to help myself with the confusing issues that my dyslexia seemed to bring me I discovered that some of the confusion comes from the fact that I am also synesthesic.  This means that I experience two or more senses simultaneously –  an advantage and a detraction. 

It’s an advantage because it gives me heightened sensual awareness.  It’s a disadvantage because the clashing of senses simultaneously can create confusion.  To diminish this confusion I spent some time training myself to understand what was happening.   These are the steps I took.

For a couple of months I went several times a week to an art museum or gallery to spend a half hour standing in front of paintings asking myself the following questions:  if that painting had a smell, what would it be, or how do I taste that painting, or how do hear that painting and so on.  This “schooling”  made me conscious of the information coming from my senses, rather than from my brain. 

Now I know to determine if the information from my brain clashes with that from my senses. Here is an example: 

I was attending a concert of new music at Carnegie Hall in New York. My head was trying to tell me that I liked the piece. I decided to check with my senses. I asked:  how do I hear this new piece of music?  cacophanous sounds:  how do I see this new piece of music? four by eight pieces of wood clashing against one another, what is the touch I feel from this new piece of music? like sharp pins sticking up and blooding my finger, what do I smell from this new piece of music? something unpleasant, what do I taste from this new piece of music?  shit. 

Yes, I get honest answers from my senses.

Let’s not forget there are two other components to this equation.

1. Sometimes two or more of my senses are working simultaneously are causing confusion. 

2. Sometimes it is simply the fact that I am not imaging the words – my hyperlexic condition.   

One fact I feel. My senses tell me truths.

Do any of you reading this blog have any comments to make about your sensorial experiences?

If you have topics that you would like me to address about my experience in overcoming dyslexia and hyperlexia feel free to send your ideas through the comments below.

 __________________________________________________________________

Information on this blog is intended to complement, not replace, the advice of your own physician or health care professional.