 |
 |
Stories from the Documentary: Nathan V. LaurenSarah LeeAdamNathan S.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
     
|
|
Visitor Comments | |
||
|
Recent responses to the Misunderstood Minds documentary and Web site. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for a most enlightening program. My grandson is one of those children that was pushed through the cracks. His Mother fought with every school since he was in the second grade and got nowhere. She even had him diagnosed. She was told he had phonic dyslexia. The school told her that was not a learning disability. Now he is in his junior year of High School, doing poorly, and still can't read or transfer his thoughts onto paper. We want to help him but don't know where to go to begin. The school will not give any assistance. He hopes to go into the Navy when he graduates. I am hoping to get help for him before he starts his senior year. I will do some more searching on the web tomorrow. Again, thank you for your excellent programming. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Would someone PLEASE send this message to the interviewed kids, especially Adam. I am 30 years old and my life has been identical to Adam's. I dropped out of high school, became a bartender, and was deeply involved in the entire scene: drugs/alcohol. I never knew what was wrong, or why I could not read or comprehend what I read. I eventually got my GED. I also felt "socially retarded." I tried to go to college 9 times and dropped every time. Four years ago I found out I had a learning disability, and was able to take a remediation class that helped me with skills I needed to be successful in college. I literally made "F's" in school; now I make "A's" with ease, but I do have to study hard. It is doable. I promise. The accommodations I receive BY LAW: extended time on tests, textbooks on tape, note-takers, etc. have really made a difference in my success. PLEASE know that it is possible to be successful. I have received a degree in Graphic Design and an AA degree, and I am now at a very academic 4-year college. Keep trying and please do not give up hope. If you must, research and do what ever is necessary to get the skills you need and GO TO SCHOOL. MAKE someone give you an education! DO NOT take no for an answer. It is your legal right. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 15. It was in my second stay at a state hospital for children and youth. My behaviors and attitude had caused a great deal of distress in mine and my parents life. They told me that I had this "disease" and placed me on Ritalin. My mother thought it was very helpful but, I didn't like it. I felt detached while on it. After a couple months, I refused to take it. At school, I had friends but, none that were very close. One other thing, at 14 the school told my parents my IQ was tested at 135-145 with some extremes(spatial comparisons). I was always distracted in class. I would do great on tests but I didn't do any homework. Most of the time, I didn't even get out of bed on time to get to school. Needless to say, I dropped out as soon as I could. By the time I was 17, I was drinking daily. At 21, drugs were becoming more available. There are hundreds of other parts I am leaving out but, you can get the picture. Currently, 29 years old, in my fourth semester of college. I have been sober for over two years. My average is 4.0 and I have been awarded several scholarships in my curriculum, Engineering Science. Physics and complex algorithms in computer programming are my strongest areas. Mostly, I enjoy writing essays and reading the classics. Voltaire said in Candide that, "everything is for the best." I am grateful for everything that happened in my life. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you so so much!!!! I am in tears as I write this. I have a 6th grade child who is identified as ADHD with auditory processing difficulties, and a 5th grader who has real difficulties with math. I also have an 8th grader who makes the honor roll and a 2nd grader who does very well in school. It has been a real battle to get the help my children need. The teachers just dont seem to understand. After watching misunderstood minds and reading this info I feel armed and will be more prepared for up coming mdt and iep meetings. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: As the parent of an ADHD child, I found this program to be comforting. The underlying theme of hope is one that is shared by my son, his father, and me. As a first grade teacher, I found this program inspiring. My motivation to help children with special needs such as Nathan V., Lauren, Sarah Lee, Nathan S., and especially Adam, while early intervention is an option is renewed by observing their struggles and celebrating their successes March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Great documentary! I wish all school counselors and social workers would see it, discuss it, and be prepared to support families as they seek answers for their children. Our daughter, too, was at first considered just 'uncooperative'. It took our own money, time, and persistence to get any other answers, and ongoing lobbying (with the agencies paid with our tax dollars to empower our children) to get the services to which she is entitled. A big part of all this is finding an expert who genuinely has expertise in diagnosis, and then pairing that with people who will persist until the right solutions are found. Parents have to become strong advocates, and keep their energy, determination, and voice throughout the years. . . and teach these children how to become their own advocates. I deplore the adversarial role we are called upon to play with the very people who have committed their careers to education. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I cried as I watched this program. My adopted son is 28 and wanted so much to please me in school as I was also a teacher. I went back to school and took as many LD courses as I could. My husband and I took our son to a doctor for testing. But the public school in our town had their own test and did not agree with the test results we had, so my son was not even in an LD Program. I took him to for private tutoring and he stayed in public school until 10th grade. He hated school and got involved in drugs. We took him to for drug rehab for 9 months. Our son got his GED. When he came home we sold our home i and moved to so he could get a new start. When he was about 24 he begin working and is very good at his job.I wish I could have seen this program years ago. It's wonderful that the research was carried on to a point where you seem to have really found solutions that will help children. All children and parents should be able to celebrate the children's's strengths and avoid the terrible damage that is done by failure. May God bless you and your work. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I just finished watching this documentary. I just wish everyone involved with these kids and their learning disabilities and their families could watch this video. My Graham (age 13) has been diagnosed since he was six years old with ADHD. It has been one long struggle to get him to the 8th grade. He has been in private school for the past four years for intense specialized help. He is one of the lucky ones that are able to receive special help. But now we are facing his going into high school in August and I am scared to death. For four years he has attended Guilford Day School here in Greensboro. I can't rave enough the wonderful school that they are. We have been so blessed that we have been able to send him there. He has grown so much in many different areas. He still has two major things we have yet to conquer. Written language, and the ability for him to tap into his store of knowledge and set this learning back onto the paper - processing. The education part is not what scares me, it's whether or not he will be able to cope with his disability and all the horrible peer pressure that could grab him when he goes to school in August. The many tears shed, and prayers that have been following him will still be there, but will he realize the choices he will have to make? In the past year an a half he has been on medication to help his anger as well as the Aderall for the ADHD. The time that lapses in the mornings getting ready for the day, and the late afternoon when all meds have worn off have to be the hardest periods of our daily living. He has to be disciplined in many different ways than what other children would immediately respond to. The anger has to subside first and sometimes that takes hours. My friends that don't live with this every day have no clue what it's like. I wish I could just do everything for him, but I can't. So we continuously struggle to find ways to help him. And I will never give up. I will always be here for him, and my hopes for his future will endure. What I have a real problem with is the way he impresses the community. People can be cruel when they just don't know any better. Thank you for trying to educate the public. I can only hope that the parents of an undiagnosed child would be watching so that they might go through the testing, evaluations, and meds that it takes to give their child the opportunity to learn, instead of denying the fact. May they realize that there is something major that needs to be tended to in order to achieve lifetime goals for their pride-and-joys. This is my fifth year as a Teacher Assistant in Guilford County. I hope that I have helped maybe one or two parents to realize that they are not drugging their child, but allowing him the opportunity to learn. Dr. William Michaels taught me this in my very first seminar on ADHD when Graham was 6. Thank you so very much for your attention to these disabilities and the education of the public. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I started watching "Misunderstood minds" at Sarah Lee's story. I had been flipping through the channels when I found it. Her story, and all the others that followed sounded so familiar... I was first diagnosed in fifth grade as "being L.D." I had no idea what it meant, but it made me different. The phrase makes me cringe to this day because I've spent the last 17 year convincing myself that because I HAVE a learning difference doesn't mean that am in some way disabled. I am completely capable of learning. Watching this program brought back all the frustrating feelings I had about going to school. I almost cried listening to those kids describe their feelings and the low self esteem levels. I didn't receive professional help until I was a senior in high school. This lag in attention was partially because my parents didn't know where to find the resources to help me. They also didn't cope with the diagnosis very well. Because it was not talked about, I soon forgot I was even tested. My grade school failed me too. They did not offer any help beyond setting up the initial testing. Well, they tried to make me see a math tutor but he was old, intimidating, and had dandruff in his eyebrows! Needless to say, a safe learning environment was not created. It wasn't until my last year in high school, with a second round of testing that I actually realized a wasn't dumb. However it came a little late. I missed applying to colleges, and probably wouldn't have gotten in because of my poor GPA. I floundered for a few years, attending a technical college and working, but couldn't find a path that interested me. Finally, I discovered an interest in the outdoors and preserving our natural resources. I decided I wanted to try a four-year college. I just wanted to let you know I've finally succeeded. I'm graduating this spring from the University of Wisconsin Madison, with a BS in Natural Resources. It's been a very long and hard journey, but I'm so excited that I did it! I couldn't have done it without the help from the McBurney Disability Resource Center at the UW, and my private tutor Renee Sandler who helped me though my difficult math course. I'm sorry this is so long, but I'm just glad to see that this topic is finally being talked about more, and that parents with children who need extra attention are able to find resources and support through programs like this one. Thanks for putting a project like this together. Angela Jacobs ps: I apologize for the spelling errors. This text box doesn't have the spell-check option...adding one would be my only suggestion ;) Thanks again March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: What a excellent program on learning differences! It was like reliving our own struggles all over again. This needs to be seen by every teacher! Early intervention is the key, and teachers need to be aware of the signs. Our son was in the fourth grade before being diagnosed with Central Auditory Processing Disorder. I read to him every night when he was young, and he was fascinated with dinosaurs. He would devour information about them. I was so excited for him to enjoy the learning process in school. Almost immediately he was behind, but teachers always said "he's a boy and immature...he'll grow out of it." Because of our military moves, schooling was forever changing. I even home schooled a year and a half while over seas. I knew there was a problem, but couldn't put my finger on it. At the beginning of fourth grade, my husband retired and our son was enrolled in a Catholic grade school. His organizational skills were nonexistent, and he could not understand the directions for homework. It was a living nightmare...until he was finally tested for CAPD. His teacher had received a questionnaire from a speech pathologist/audiologist to complete for another student. She said most of the questions reminded her of my son. I immediately had him tested. We changed schools the following mid-year, after there was no help or progress at his school. We enrolled him at Meredith-Dunn School in Louisville, which is a school purposely designed to help children with learning differences. They were a God send! My son became a happy child again, who didn't mind going to school. His teachers have been so attentive, to even call me if he seemed to have a "off" day. They teach him the skills he will need to be successful in life. They have given him hope for a bight academic future! My son graduates from Meredith Dunn School on May 9, 2002. He will attend Trinity High School next year. They are known in the area to have programs to accommodate all learning capabilities. I feel confident my son will continue to refine his skills in order to attend college. There needs to be a grand "push" to mainstream this information, so more parents will know they are not alone in this struggle. There is help for our children, but so often it takes too long to find the resource with answers. Thank you for enlightening all viewers, and giving hope to those who are seeking answers. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: As a mother of a child with many severe learning disabilities, I want to say to Adam Dunning and his parents," DO NOT GIVE UP ON THIS LIFE!" We know to much for this beautiful child to have to live the way he is living. I believe in hope, but hope doesn't do Adam any good. What he needs is some remedial help and fast. In a city like Boston with Harvard, MIT, Boston U, it is a SIN that this child is suffering because of lack of funds. Please let me know how I can reach out to this child and let him know what a wonderful young man he is. And not to give up. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Both my husband and I have been diagnosed with dyslexia around 2nd grade. We are both successful business people and have learned to compensate for our weaknesses. My daughter, now in 2nd grade is struggling with what you describe as decoding. The school has been somewhat supportive but not to my satisfaction. I feel the school takes it personally as a failure if I go outside the system. I have asked several times what programs outside of school I should look into (I am willing to pay for programs myself) but they keep telling me the short time that they pull her out of class each day is helping. I know from experience my daughter does not want to leave the classroom. I feel that must interfere with her progress in that program. Do you have any suggestions for how I should approach this problem? I like the approach Dr Levine takes in detecting what the problem is and implementing a solution. I grew up avoiding to read through child hood. And I will never write a note to a teacher without checking most words in the dictionary and/or finding a different way to write something so I can avoid trying to spell certain words. I don't want my daughter growing up with those feelings. I have chosen not to run this letter through spell check to show how these problems continue through life if not fixed at an early age. I was fortunate in that my parents did seek a lot of help for me. I just think that so much progress has been achieved that My Daughter should have a better chance than I did. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I have spent the last two weeks trying to work with my son's school to find a way to help him adapt to school. He is ADD and academically gifted. After 5 years of listening to their mantra that my asking for someone to help him learn to organize himself was enabling him, I finally said enough when we learned he had 4 D's because of missing assignments. Many of the ideas I am trying to get them to try you also suggested on your web site. I have felt pretty helpless lately as I watched my son try to accommodate himself to school and wondered why should he have to make all the changes, why can't the school find a way to acomodate his positive attributes? There are times I know he gives up and I have to admit that I have felt the same way lately; your show could not have come at a better time. I feel recharged to help my son receive the education he deserves in the manner he deserves. Thank you! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I teach. Second graders to be exact. As I watched the program names began to come back and haunt me. Kids that I had and could reach. If only I could have helped them. I want to learn so much more that what has been provided here. This website is a wonderful tool to help parents teachers and even peers understand what it might be like for certain kids. I also watched Oprah today and it was mentioned that there were training workshops available across the country. Where can I get more info about those. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: THANK YOU for a fantastic and insightful program. As an elementary school teacher and the mother of a twenty-four year old son identified in the fourth grade with learning difference, I applaud the way you tackled all aspects of learning differences. My son, Colin, is proof that early intervention, parent advocacy, and self-awarenesss of differences can lead to success. Colin is now 6 credits shy of his B.S. degree, working full-time at Dreamworks Studios in California (his first movie credit was for "Shrek," and teaching three college classes at his college, Cogswell College in Sunnyvale, California. Your documentary will become an instrumental addition to my library as I work with my 5th grade parents to help them understand their children. I would appreciate any information you have about the classes for teachers that you conduct. THANK YOU! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I just finished watching Misunderstood Minds, and certainly appreciate the emphasis upon individual diagnosis and treatment planning. As a licensed psychologist with expertise in special education I have seen a number of children with learning disorders and have developed instructional programs such as the ones you presented. Since I am also an educational administrator in charge of special education I had some other thoughts, however. I did note that virtually none of the children you featured found assistance through the public schools: one learned better in jail than in a special education classroom, another went to a charter school before finding success, a third went to a military school. Did you intend to give the message that (public) special education is ineffective? Whether you did or not, I believe that was the message delivered. I also think that such a message is misleading. Now, it is clear that there are many public schools, school districts, special education teachers and classrooms that are poorly prepared to deal with students with disabilities. There are also many that do an exceptional job, but they were nowhere to be found in your documentary! Is that fair to those teachers and administrators who are having a positive impact upon children's lives in publicly-funded special education? I think not. Had you taken your documentary a few steps further you might have (1) presented information relative to the high number of students currently in special education (approximately 12%); (2) demonstrated that despite the monies allocated to special education much more is needed; (3) examined the need for reform in colleges and universities that prepare teachers; (4) shown how race, poverty, and disability are highly correlated; (5) illustrated good (as well as poor) teaching in public special education classrooms; (6) presented some of the many model programs that are informing special education; and, (7) suggested some ways that the private sector can work with the those public employees who are school administrators and teachers. As it is, your program only reinforced the erroneous belief that if you want something done "right" you must work outside of the public schools. It also reinforced the (erroneous) belief that somehow, someone in private practice making the proper diagnosis will effect meaningful change. Many times -- and unfortunately -- that just is not so. On the plus side, I appreciated your emphasis upon individualization, the message of hope you communicated, and a view of learning disorders that goes well beyond the behavioral. I am afraid that in many cases we have attempted to simplify what is a complex phenomenon, and have adopted a "one size fits all" approach to instruction. The importance of psychological processes has gone ignored for many years and we are now seeing the results! Linking academic problems to emotional difficulties is especially appreciated, and important. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for this informative and well documented feature about learning differences. Our two sons have add with visual and auditory dyslexia, dysgraphia, and visual processing skills. Our oldest, now 23, went through years of speech, physical, and mental therapy and attended private school. Our youngest, 16, attended a special school for 3 yrs for his dyslexia and attends private school. Our 23 yr old is in his last yr of college with a 3.5 gpa and the 16 yr old is a honor student and leader in his school. Their success comes about in that I cried for my oldest for 10yrs before I took action on my own to seek independent help. I now cry for the children who have no one to advocate for them. It still amazes me that in 2002 our educational system still performs so inadequately. Thanks to the director, producer, and editor for their efforts. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Read the book THE GIFT OF DYSLEXIA by Ron Davis. It is a real eye opener. Mr. Davis, through personal experience, has found a way to access the gifts and the intelligence in these different thinkers. I have been a facilitator with this program for 2 years and have had incredible successes with children with all kinds of issues. It is never too late to help anyone whether he is 7 or 70. If an individual is a willing participant then he is able to bring control back into his life and to access his potential by using the tools provided in the program. One of the criteria is that the candidate NOT be on medication. The program this evening was a sensitive and caring portrayal of the families and children whose lives are turned upside down by the mere fact that the children march to a different drummer. Please take the time to read the above mentioned book. You will see again those children profiled tonight and many others. You will also find an answer to the issues not through medical research or drugs but through genius and a personal journey. For more information about the Davis method contact the website at www.dyslexia.com. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am very interested in finding out what more I can do at school to help my students succeed. This documentary was very insightful. My son went through a period of hating to read. He had a very difficult time putting sounds together. He would add or leave out sounds in the words. What he read, then, made no sense. He was angry and very frustrated. Being a teacher, I thought I should be able to help. Working with my own son is quite different than working with students. I became frustrated with him, thinking that he should know this and he just didn't want to do it. I knew that my son had vision difficulties but didn't realize to what extent these difficulties had to do with reading and his self confidence. After taking him to a behavioral optometrist who prescribed "plus" lenses and vision therapy, he now enjoys reading, and is actually reading above his grade level.....and...is understanding what he is reading. Of course, this all took place within two years, along with the help of his teachers. I credit his growth to our caring, expert, optometrist, and staff, and to the reading expertise of his second and third grade teachers. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: One of my nephews had learning disability as a child. My sister would send him to school but he was not learning much in reading, writing, or math. My sister pulled him out of school when he was about 13 and put him to work full- time in a store. Six months later he was fending for himself. At the age of 14/15 he had his own business. He worked long hours. After some years he bought a store-front and opened his own store. He works long hours. He is a successful businessman. The point I am trying to make is that formal education is over emphasized nowadays. There is more to life than reading, writing, and math. We all learn differently. Some learn from books, others learn from book of life. If your child can not learn reading,writing, or math and you have exhausted all other means of help, teach him a vocation that interests him. This will help him two ways : 1. He will be able to earn a livelihood. 2. He will not be frustrated with boredom. Also he will have high self-esteem. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: This documentary was fantastic because it was so comprehensive. You told enough of each child's "misunderstood mind" over time to give the viewer a real picture and validation of different types of minds. I wish that I had told all of my second grade student's parents as well as my colleagues to watch it. The most important point of all is including the child in learning about her strengths and weaknesses. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am a Special Educator. I teach children with Learning Disabilities. I spend a great deal of my time teaching other teachers what a Learning Disability is and what to look for. Colleges are not teaching our teachers what to look for and how to help these students. They rely on the Special Educators. It needs to be a joint effort between the regular teacher and the special educator. I was impressed with "Misunderstood Minds" and wish that teachers in school had been watching it with me. They were all powerful stories. I wish more programs were being shown like this one. A learning disability is common and people need to understand them! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: The documentary was well made. I teach middle school volunteer as a literacy tutor. The more I watched, the more I realized that I don't know enough on the subject (can we ever really know enough?). You show will help me help my students. Thank you. Finally, please pass this on to Adam's parents: Encourage Adam to attend community college. Colleges are much more in tune to techniques that help LD kids than are high schools. Also, do some research and you will find two-year colleges geared toward LD students. I would say that is your last big shot and it will probably work well. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: My eleven year son has learning difficulties and we moved 425 miles to enroll him into a school that could help him learn and be part of a positive environment. It has meant a lot of personal sacrifice with the expenses of changing a job, moving, and starting life over in a new town. So far, I have been really pleased with the school and my son's achievements. When I saw Misunderstood Minds, it made me wonder if I am doing everything possible for my son. I learned from the program that a child's L.D. can be camouflaged in the 1st and 2nd grade. I will be more alert about my five year old son who has showed some difficulties and will be in the 1st grade next year. Thank you for the documentary because it has helped me and I am sure it will help others. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: What an outstanding use of public resources Misunderstood Minds represents. As a parent of young children or simply a concerned citizen this documentary demonstrates so clearly how simply investing time and attention in children can have such a dramatic positive impact on so many lives. Thank you for airing such an inspiring and educational piece! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: As a mother of a 5 1/2 year old girl who has had every test in the book, and has come up with no diagnosis for her developmental delays (as they have so labeled it), I am pleased to see that there are resources out there. I only wish I could have been more informed as in what direction to go in. I am in tears reading your information and watching your documentary as I feel I have another outlet to search for answers. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for another wonderful PBS offering. This is such a vital topic and it was covered in a meaningful and effective way. It is great to know that resources are available for so many parents who are desperate to help their children. I work with abused and neglected children at a shelter. I learned a few things that will be helpful when dealing with these children. Thank you for introducing the subject on the Oprah Winfrey show. I would have missed the documentary if I had not watched her show today. I am sure that you have reached many parents who can benefit from the lessons you were wise enough to share in such a public forum. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I could so relate to all these stories our oldest son is the most popular, smart, athletic boy who as a toddler was shown off for his speech and vocabulary. His memory was just outstanding. Friends often described him as a worldly child. Then we went to school. He was behind on everything. Reading nightly always ended in tears and fears. Meetings with teachers always ended in just keep practicing he'll get it. By 2nd grade I insisted on testing which came back with a deficiency of about 9 months to a year. That test got him 30 min. of resource help a day which I don't understand because had he been found a gifted child he would have had 3 hrs. of instruction. Anyway that test is only done every 3 years so this year in 5th grade we repeated the test and found little to no progress. Our state also does the end of grade testing which he has taken for the last 2 years and still has not passed and again I have a problem with a system who says that every child should be able to pass the same test. So here we are 3 years of private tutoring and resource help from the schools and still we don't have any more information other than your child can't read on grade level and if he doesn't pass this test he can't go on to middle school. How did he get here in the first place and where are you going to be when he wants to kill him self because he is no good. We too can't afford the private academy that was suggested by our pediatrician to the tune of $12,500. a year especially since we have 3 more children that I pray every day they won't be faced with this. Where can I find Dr. Mel Levine? March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I teach a first grade inclusion class. I'm using Eileen Perlman's PAF reading program which is an Orton-Gillingham program. While it has been very effective for a majority of children with poor phonemic awareness, there are still children who are not mastering the skills for proficient reading (i.e.,inconsistency,speed,decoding blends). I am very frustrated by the lack of proper diagnosis for reading disabilities within the NYC system. The testing uses the IQ formula which does not flag the problems. As in your broadcast, they are often verbally proficient and fall within the normal range. Without the L.D. classification, retention is the recommended solution. I know retention is not the answer for these children. Can you recommend free testing options for these students that will properly assess and provide assistance to these children, their families, and their concerned teacher? March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you SO MUCH for this educational program on learning disabilities/differences. My son was finally diagnosed to have a processing problem with written language in the 6th grade. We were told in the 5th grade that, "everything will work out just fine", Mrs. Eulberg. Everything did not work out fine. With the diagnoses, he was placed in an LD class in the 7th grade and he hated the label placed on him. His social skills started to decline. He continued in the LD program throughout high school. He graduated from high school and we explored colleges which had programs for LD students. He was accepted at Muskingum College in New Concord, OH and wonderful school with a PLUS program for all kinds of different learning differences. He graduated in five years with a Bachelor of Arts degree. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I found your documentary very informative-there needs to be more of this kind of information sharing. I am a teacher of over 32 years experience.I have taught General Ed K-6 and SpEd in the areas of LD, BA (Behavioral) MLD (Multiple Learning Disabilities) DC (Developmentally Challenged) Hearing Impaired in many combinations . I also taught GIFTED students for 4 years. I am Canadian but now reside in Madison Heights Michigan I teach in Warren Michigan. As a teacher I have been a die-hard advocate for students with difficulties. My problem is not with the students-they are great. It (my problem ) is with the adults, and other educators that are supposed to be educated and informed. At one point in my career I became exhausted from trying to convince INTELLIGENT people not to make assumptions, not to be judgmental, not to assume one can't learn anything because of a disability ! Your program brought awareness to MANY people I hope. It gave the scenario of some very special students.I applaud the parents for seeking the best situation for their child. When all is said and done education IS a collaborative effort. Teachers need to feel that parents are willing to be a positive part of that team. I am also a parent of two children-they are grown but I do understand the complexity of parenting. Thank -you for sharing the information on TV. If it helps even one parent or one teacher-it was well worth it ! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: One of the most informative, yet heart-wrenching documentaries I've ever seen. As the mother of 3 children with different disabilities, I applaud the creators for publicizing what families go through. I would walk 300 miles, with my children on my back, to have someone like Dr. Mel Levine help us. It's been my experience that too many *professionals* just don't *get* what these children and their families go through. It's a crime that some schools let these children fall through the cracks. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Just watched the documentary and found it very informative. I teach older teens in an Alternative Program of the public schools in my county. While I am not a trained teacher, I have been teaching GED preparation for many years; first to adults. I tell my students they are my redemption (a new word for them) since I missed some of the interventions discussed tonight with my own 30 year old daughter. Unfortunately, it seems that school systems are not equipped to handle or willing to pay for remedies and parenting skills for older teens' whose behavior is less than comfortable. More people need to be willing to do whatever they can since many families are unaware of options and/or just plain "burned out". March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: This was an incredible experience for me as a mother of a 16 year old boy with learning differences I knew before he started school that there was a problem and had to beg for him to be tested in first grade. It is a little late for the help he should have had. I am losing him to outside influences. Why if over 80% of the kids in juvenile detention have LD do the schools not try harder to correct the problem. I heard many teachers tell me he's not stupid and the learning will come. Not without much humiliation! He went to special classes for reading but still was expected to do tasks that were impossible for someone with decoding problems, like word scrambles. What was the teacher thinking? setting him up to fail. I cannot count how many nights he cried and wanted to know why he was stupid. Homework would take hours. No one could help him. At least now maybe there is help. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I just finished watching the show, WOW ! It has been a huge eye opener. I know I had some kind of disorder in school and tried to hide it (very well I might add) .I jumped from school to school, every year I was in a different one. My teachers finally found out to late while I was in an alternative school. I graduated and went to college, there I could not hide it. So thank you for doing this and opening a lot of eyes. Also if anyone is answering questions how do I prevent this happening to my 3 year old ? Kathy March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: My son and I watched your show this evening. I work at our school as an ED/LD aide, Sec., and my son is one with an misunderstood mind. Luckily, I was able to gain employment with our School District, to help him through his schooling years. My son has been tested and they have not found a top to his level as to date. Unfortunately his anxiety is so overwhelming he has troubles with normal daily functions. Since he is so bright his teachers expect much from him. When he can't even bring himself to talk in class. Every day is a struggle. We enjoyed your show and we talk openly about his gifts and pains. We as a country need to teach to everyone's ability and no matter where they are on the spectrum. Class integration has been such a huge mistake. The bright children get lost and the kids with special needs get lost. So many children are not in the "middle". Every parent hopes for the best for their child. Thank you for bringing that aspect to your show. Susan J. Bursaw March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: This t.v. program was the best I have ever watched about kids with these problems. We have a son with severe learning problems and I can see as he gets older it at times is harder to deal with him. He at times gets very angry dealing with a learning problem. He is very aware of every aspect of his learning difficulty. Including not fitting in or that teachers dont even realize they are teased. We as a family are ordering a video and hope the school will view it also. Thanks for airing a great show!!!! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: As a mother of 4 children, I found this documentary to be fascinating. My oldest child (10years old, in 5th grade) has been "diagnosed" with ADD and is on Adderall. While he has been doing well academically, he has a major problem with reading and I worry about how he will continue to do well in other subjects as he gets older without being able to read and comprehend successfully. With 3 younger siblings this has taken a toll on our family and I worry about the long term effects of the medication. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I have seen the presentation on Oprah and have visited the Web site....and am planning to use the program and the site with our ADHD support group. The information is wonderful and puts a great deal of what we have always believed in front of educators who have ignored us. Thank you. Thank you. We are especially delighted with the examples...trying to get educators to realize what it is like is very often the opening to their considering what is going on and how they can help. Too often they have no concept that people can and do think differently, are wired differently,the examples may bring these facts home for once. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I cried the whole show! Especially the story on Adam! My son, Michael, is 20 years old. He has severe central auditory processing deficit. The schools failed him, too. He told us he played chess a lot (in his special ed class) or help with the severely handicapped children in the room adjacent theirs sometimes. He managed to graduate, however he had no skills to cope with his disability and we are faced with starting the process of diagnosing, testing, and working with the state's OVR to help him find meaningful employment. He was also going in the wrong direction and was arrested. We weren't fully aware of how severe his problems were until recently. As a family, we will be strong and help him get through it together. He deserves to be happy and live life to its fullest. I feel so horrible and partially responsible for not being more aggressive in his schooling. They sit you down in these meetings every year and make it sound good - on paper! My prayers are with every MISunderstood mind in this world! Their struggle is long and lonely. Hopefully, with more awareness it won't be for long! THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU!!! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Enjoyed your documentary. Was happy to see R. Laovoie was still out there. I saw him speak many years ago. I am the mother of a 25yo ADD son. At age 13 he went on Ritalin. I believe it saved his life. It changed his life and the life of our family. He is 2nd child, first son out of 4. He continued on Ritalin until his junior year in high school. At that point he was successful all the way around. Ritalin kept things on an even keel while he learned techniques to deal with his ADD. Today his is a very successful man. He is a volunteer firefighter, EMT and is in the oil business. He installs, repairs burners etc. What he is finding is that his ADD is becoming a problem in relationship. He is a very giving person with a heart of gold. We both think ADD is getting in the way. Just this weekend we talked about finding someone who deals with adult ADD. Any help would be very much appreciated. A quick note about my daughter. At 4yo I was told she wold never read, speak coherently or attend regular school. To make a long story short, after 15 years of advocating and fighting for every service she has graduated from high school and is attending a school for Surgical Technology. She even won scholarships to attend this school. She is in the operating room, setting up, holding retractors etc. She drives and is also an EMT and volunteer firefighter. A real success story. My son too is a success story. He just needs a little help. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: How do you get this program implemented in our children's school? Fieldcrest Elementary I think that this program is really terrific, as an adult I have learning disabilities but I never had this when I was a child. If I did then things would have been different for me today. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I have an eight year old son named Nick. Nick is a wonderful boy. He is in second grade and is having difficulties in reading and writing and I was just told by his teacher that the school feels he has ADD. After I stopped crying, blaming the fact that his father and I are divorced, thinking that it is my fault or that the school is wrong, I decided to try to educate myself on the subject. I can't tell you how much that your show and the information that I found on this site has helped me. I now have somewhere to start to find out what can help Nick learn and not change the wonderful, out-going and loving child that he is. Thank You for showing me that we are not alone and that Nicks learning problems are something that we can handle. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: My 8 year old son had trouble learning his phonigrams in Kindergarten and 1st grade was a nightmare for all of us. I had lengthy conversations with his teacher on conference days and would send notes as to his progress several times during the nine weeks. Over the summer he stayed at home with my mother who would work with him on reading and I noticed that he would always get tired and rub his eyes when he read. So I took him to the eye doctor, who looked at the way Jeremy tied his shoelaces and told me it was not a problem with his eyes. The doctor still gave him a very through eye exam and then began asking Jeremy to get on the floor and crawl then to skip. After watching Jeremy for a while go through different acts he told me that the left side of his brain was not "sticking" on the activity. He then had Jeremy watch the doctor move his finger and Jeremy's eyes "jumped" when following the doctors' finger. But when he had Jeremy follow his finger with his eyes and point his finger the eyes followed The eye doctor told me to have Jeremy do certain exercises like crawling, tossing a ball up in the air and catching it, skipping, walking along a 2x4 and walking while pointing his finger at his foot. When we started the exercises after 2 weeks of doing about 15 minutes twice a day there was noticeable improvement in his reading. Jeremy still has trouble reading which we continue to work on and he is making A's and B's in second grade. He works hard and takes pride in his work again. Which was not the case in first grade. Your show and this website is wonderful, especially for someone who is in a small town and wants to really help their child with their problem. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank You so much, my husband and I have struggled for months with our son he is 7 and is taking first grade for the 2nd time, we have been told he has a high "probability" of ADHD, and we have never agreed.. however, we have felt he has a learning disability, and this program has just fueled this theory of mine even more. Now, the questions remains, WHERE TO BEGIN? Thanks for boosting my confidence.. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I saw Dr. Levine today on Oprah. I am anxiously waiting the program on PBS tonight. My son has an autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger's Syndrome. Our problems are very similar to those referred to on the show, with a few twists. I hope to glean some useful information from this site that will better help me in Homeschooling him to his fullest potential. The school system was just failing him and it was heart breaking to see the frustration that was building. He has just turned 10! Thank you for your words and encouragement to all parents of special kids! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Your website is wonderful! I have read every topic you offered and thank you for such cogent explanations about learning. I emailed my friends to encourage them to browse your site and also see the show if possible. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: It was a disappointment that you did not include children with Bipolar. Since a lot of time kids are diagnosed with ADHD and they really are bipolar. The life of bipolar children is a struggle and lot of problems are school related stressors. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am a mom of 3. My oldest Marissa(10) was having difficulties in school last year. Her teacher labeled marissa as lazy, a daydreamer and as her mother I was told that I wasn't doing my job as a parent at home even though we were doing homework for more than 3hrs a night. We would work with Marissa at home and she would do fine but once she got ready for the test she would fail. I suggested for Marissa to be tested for Special Ed. I was told that what she needed was a tutor and to "buckle down" on schoolwork at home. We struggled through the 3rd grade and she passed. She became depressed I became depressed because this "teacher" put judgment on me as a single mom of 3. This year Marissa has a wonderful teacher who knew Marissa wasn't lazy. That she was very intelligent but for some reason wasn't retaining information. Marissa is now receiving help through Special Ed. We have just started the testing process to help her with learning. My son Nathan (7)is in the First grade is now showing signs of learning disabilities. Having the same problem as his older sister. I wish I would have stood up for my daughter last year but I took the word of a teacher that Marissa was capable of doing the work but chose not too. I wish I could have my children tested by Dr. Levine. We have struggled with the school system and it would be nice to pin-point how their minds are wired so they and I can go through school without stress! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I say your promo on my local PBS station last night. Today I searched for your website. I phoned the principal of my son's middle school (private) where he has been struggling to keep up this year. We will meet again this afternoon and this time I will be armed with information that is easy to understand and teacher-friendly. After countless meetings and discussions with teachers who seem to think the answer is "give him consequences for his actions," I am now at the end of my rope. I am a teacher myself and have tried to explain that my son has been diagnosed with ADD. But the teachers have little interest and have even said my son must be pampered at home. Finally - an explanation that I will pass on to them in hopes that they will have an epiphany and suddenly understand that he was born this way. Perhaps they won't be so judgmental in the future with other children who "just aren't paying attention." I can't wait for this evening.The hands-on experience as a learning disabled child made me understand what my son is going through. He is 12 and I hope it is not too late. Thank you!!!! March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am just writing about your story on learning disabilies. I went through school up until grade 9 struggling with my school work. I found out that I had a problem with reading and writing. The school I was in put me in a class to help me with my learning difficulties, when I was finished my spelling and reading was back up to standards. I continued in high school taking Moderate English 10 and passed that class with good mark so the school decided to place me in regular English in Grade 12. I graduated grade 12 with good marks in every class except English I just passed it. I decided to be a Receptionist and took some Automated Computer classes at College. I did well and started my career (I thought) in the wonderful world of Office work. After a little while of this I ended up at a job with a company that I had to type out quotes over the phone. Well, I have always had a problem with spelling words and I lost my job because I wasn't able to type out the quote that I was given over the phone. My boss at that time asked me if I had a learning disability. That thought has never even crossed my mind until he mentioned something. He had to let me go because I was no good to his company when I couldn't even spell. I ended up on EI and asked for a upgrade in my training. EI sent me to a place that would check to see if I had a learning disability. Well after about 3 days of testing I sure enough did had a learning problem. I was now 28 years old. I found out that I had a grade 7 reading, and writing level. This didn't discourage me, I requested at that time to go back to school and take something that would help me get a job. I wanted to work with computers, so I decided to go after my Microsoft Certified System Expert (MCSE) Certification. I did get that and got a job at the college as a instructor. As the years went along I am now a Instructor for a great college and a life time student. I have not let my learning disability get me down I found another way of looking at it. I read a lot more and I'm always studying to get my next Certification. If anything I hope there are kids out there that do have a learning difference or disability "there is no problem to great it can not be solved". I have gone all my childhood with this learning curve and just had to find another way around it, and I have a great career and love what I am doing. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I have a 16 year old son who has struggled with ADD. He has not been a behavior problem so he has always just "gotten by" in school. He now is now not just getting by but failing many subjects. He seems not to care, has developed a bad attitude, is cutting classes etc. I feel like I should have addressed this at a younger age and now it's too late. I would like for him to do the 11th grade over and send him to a school where they are equipped to teach him in a different way--but dont want to send him to a school for troubled kids. He does not do drugs, drink etc. I would like to know if there are any private high schools that someone might recommend for a kid who has trouble focusing, seems to have given up but has great potential. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I have a 7 year old son who has high functioning autism, ADHD, and epilepsy. My other son, 4 years old, has ADHD. I am looking forward to this program so much -- it's been on my calendar for months. I hope this program will shed some light on learning disabilities for others -- we must build a community of acceptance for people who have disabilities that you cannot see. I hope PBS will create a similar high quality program exploring children who have high-functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome. April is Autism Awareness Month -- learn all you can about this condition that affects 1 in every 500 people. It strikes before the age of 3. My son was normally developing until 3 -- he woke up one morning and could not speak. Social skills were gone. It's as if someone stole my child in the middle of the night and there's no cure. THANK YOU, PBS, for airing programs like this. March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Bravo for the concerted and extraordinary effort to reach and teach about various learning disabilities and learning styles! We applaud you! I would ask that you consider adding information about speech and language disorders specifically. I am the president of the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association. Children with this speech disorder and others are at high risk of having difficulty at school due to related language processing issues. Speech production and language processing is critically important to learning to decode text, processing directions to follow at school, etc. We would be most appreciative if you could add our website to your list of resources after you inspect it. Our informational site is Apraxia-Kids: http://www.apraxia-kids.org Thank you again and please let our organization know if we can assist you in any way. Sincerely, Sharon Gretz, M.Ed. President Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association www.apraxia-kids.org March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I'm very excited about this web site, and I hope it will be up for a long time. My son was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and as you can imagine, school has been hard for him. Not the reading/writing/math part. He's very good at that. But the attention/disruption part. Because he's friendly and outgoing, his teachers have made allowances for his behavior, but this year has been very hard on his self esteem. I'm recommending this web site to his teacher, if only for the "experience it" samples on your web site. (I still haven't been able to do the auditory distraction exercise :) March 27, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: This website is amazing. My daughter has Sensory Integration Dysfunction which overlaps in many areas with ADD & ADHD. This website brought to life for my husband and I the problems she encounters everyday. Thank You! |
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
produced by © 2002 WGBH Educational Foundation All rights reserved |
|
|
|||