*Vaishnavi's Triumph: A Story of Belief and Determination

When I met Vaishnavi* for the first time, she came across as a soft-spoken woman – spry and energetic in her sixties. Her eyes exude kindness and compassion. In reality, this façade props up a woman of steel. She’s a terrific lady. And once you get to know her, you’ll realise she’s a storehouse of knowledge on supporting a child with learning differences, as a parent and as a teacher. Listen to her story of struggle and triumph in her son’s turbulent voyage through school; and how he emerges victorious because his mum believed in him and stood by him. Listen to Vaishnavi's story:

*Name changed on request.

Comments

Chef Venkatesh Bhat On How He Managed Dyslexia

Chef Venkatesh Bhat was at his inspiring best when he spoke with frankness about how he managed his dyslexia to become a successful chef. Watch the interview here: Interview courtesy: Madras Dyslexia Association

I know, something’s wrong!

I knew LD/ADHD is genetic only after my daughter was assessed for it. However, you can catch the signs much earlier if you’re observant. You instinctively know something is ‘off’ by the time the child is two and a half to 3 years old. I never knew anything about Dyslexia , LD , or ADHD . In my case, the revelation did not appear like a bolt from the clear blue sky, but was a gradual affirmation of all I felt and knew was ‘off’ with my daughter. Much of the knowledge I gained is in hindsight, but it is knowledge which empowered me to advocate for my child. Here’s what my child did: Kicked like crazy and moved constantly in the womb. Remained in the womb even after 9 months. Just made the minimum birth weight cut off. She spoke very early, by 8-9 months (many children also have delayed speech, beyond 2 years). She did not crawl, instead she waddled on her knees like a penguin on roller skates. And then, one day (11-12 months) she stood up and ran. She couldn’t s...

Executive Function

What is Executive Function? “The executive functions are a set of processes that all have to do with managing oneself and one’s resources in order to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation.” Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parents’ Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning by Joyce Cooper-Kahn and Laurie Dietzel What does the above definition mean? Executive functions help us manage life-skills which are necessary to navigate daily-living all through our life. You need executive functions to plan and get through your day, study for an exam, research a project or plan a holiday. However, organizing is only one of these important skills. Intellectual ability is different from having good executive functions. Very bright children can have weak executive functioning. Like other cognitive skills, the executive functions follow a developmental course. Development of these imp...

Dyslexia ADDventures

Search This Blog