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Stories from the Documentary: Nathan V. LaurenSarah LeeAdamNathan S.
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Recent responses to the Misunderstood Minds documentary and Web site. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Very insightful. Encouraging and also discouraging. Makes you wonder how you can get this insightful help for your family. Our family has experienced three generations of similar type problems. The adults still struggle. The children are discouraged and have poor self esteem. We are at odds with the school system. The sixth grader tested as gifted but is now having problems both social and academic. As a four year old he was tested for AD/HD was said to be okay. The second grader had delayed speech and tested AD/HD. He is on medication but is still having difficulties. He has delayed fine motor skills. He holds his pencil like the child in the documentary despite repeated tries at teaching him the correct way. He says his classmates call him stupid. He did okay in kindergarten and first grade due to very gifted teachers with experience dealing with these type of problems. Unfortunately, this year did not work out as well. Bad teacher with bad attitude. She felt she was being put down instead of realizing we were just searching for help. The school does not want to give occupational therapy even though it has been ordered and recommended. How can we get help from these insightful professionals? March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Your program was enlightening. We have been struggling with identifying our son's difficulties in writing for 7 years. We have had 3 MFE's and no conclusive results. His ADHD was finally diagnosed last spring by a private psychologist that we consulted when our son's oppositional defiant behaviors became unmanageable. While we've had some improvement with the combination of medication, supportive teachers, private writing tutor who is a special ed teacher, and bi-monthly visits for counseling, the actual diagnosis of his writing disability has not been clarified. However, the definition of higher-order cognition problems seems to fit our child most closely. We will research further on these lines. Thank you. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for a program that was reasonable, truthful, and enlightening. Please express our gratitude to the children and parents who shared their stories with us; they are courageous, real people. No candy coating, pie-in-the-sky, well-wishers. We are preparing for the adoption of our 21-month foster child who we have had since her birth. We also have three of our own (19, 16, and 9). Our foster child comes from a background with varied mental conditions. Our desire is to prepare her in every way we can so she may mature into an independent adult (as we hope for our natural-born children). Currently, she is in a county early intervention program, being visited every two weeks since she was 14 months old. Various skills are assessed and reported to us. These workers interact with the county children's services department about her progress. As her foster parents, we have benefited from the advice given by these workers. My wife and I will recommend this program to any foster/adoptive parent we are in contact with. All will learn something from this documentary. David and Debby Jacobsen March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I found the program to be very informative and useful to me as a kindergarten teacher. I am a fairly new teacher and am trying to learn as much as I can about learning difficulties. However, I have a few questions after watching the show. 1.) Were any of the parents ever diagnosed with learning difficulties when in school or even if not diagnosed, did they find themselves struggling? 2.) Did the families discover/feel there was a problem with their child's learning ability before or after a teacher noted that there was one?(I think this was answered in a couple of the profiles). As a teacher, I find most of the time my students' parents don't want to hear there is a learning difficulty. They may not even come for a conference or cooperate with me in trying to help their child. I noticed one of the above responses/comments urged parents to be involved in their child's education-even going through the book-bag and papers, see what your child's homework is, etc. Talk with teachers and librarians -- all excellent advice. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I just want to say that I really enjoyed your show. I had some really difficult times of my own. I used to be autistic when I was young. I was first diagnosed with it when I was 18 months. It was a struggle at first but thanks to some good fortune I was able to overcome this great challenge by the time I want to the first grade. I have written a story about personal experiences with autism and I now go and give public speeches about how I overcame autism. I talk mostly to parents, teacher and professionals. I will talk anyone who is interested in learning more autism. If you would like to have a copy of my story please reply to me email and I will be glad to share it with you. P.S. Please do some more shows like this. They are a lot of help to people with disabilities and they provide great advocacy. Jerimie Goike March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for this excellent program. I am the mother of a 7 year old boy who is experiencing great difficulty reading and writing. Adam's story could be my son's story. I could see the similarities between the two of them immediately. I recently had my son tested and according to the psych/ed testing that was done, he has no learning disabilities, and has a very high I.Q. This is completely inconsistent with the experience that he is having in school. He is struggling in any subject that requires reading - but is doing well in math (except when challenged by word problems), French (which is entirely phonetic), Art and Phys-ed. My feeling at the end of the program was that I'm not going to wait for the school to help my son. I'm going to seek out help now. My heart went out to Adam, who I fear has not been able to see his own talents. I have hope for him too. I do hope that he finds a mentor that will allow him to learn outside of a school setting. Possibly an apprenticeship in an artistic trade, or some other kind of work where he can use his intellect and not have to worry about writing or reading. There is a part of me that would love to see Adam as a teacher. He could truly understand the world that learning-challenged children face. He could be a real advocate for them. God Bless you Adam. Mairin M. Brennan March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I would like to thank you on the remarkably neat program and Web site. For the first time have I ever watched such a dramatic show about kids and there disabilities. I'm a single parent of a 9-year-old autistic boy and for many years have I wondered and done research on how his mind works as your program did something that no other ever has for me. My son seems to be very intelligent in various ways but in others does he struggle as he is in a disability class. It would be great if you could make more stories on other children like the ones you have already. I'm sure if this can help me to understand how our children think then hopefully it can do wonders for other parents. Thanks so much for the incredible work that was done on this program. Tiffany Risner March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I watched the Misunderstood Minds special last night. I found it very interesting and thought provoking in regards to my son who was diagnosed with ADD last May. I was disappointed though that the only attempt at homeschooling shown in the special failed. Homeschooling has been a great and very successful option for us because I can control his environment keeping distractions at a minimum while he attempts new and troublesome tasks. I can monitor progress very closely and adjust our lesson plans accordingly. In this way, I have every opportunity to increase his self esteem and he has every opportunity to succeed. Homeschooling is not for everyone, but for us it has provided all we need for now. I think the way your special treated homeschooling as an option that doesn't work could have discouraged someone from trying what could have greatly benefited their son/daughter. What a missed opportunity to show another workable solution for a misunderstood mind. Jenny March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I have a six year old daughter, who has been diagnosed with a learning disability since she was introduced into the school system at the ripe age of three. I have always felt that she has a light shining inside of her that just has not been found due to lack of knowledge as to what exactly is causing this learning disability. She has been tested for everything from her hearing to her possibly having a slow thyroid. I was even considering taking her to a renowned Developmental Center in my area at the possibility that she might be autistic. I have always felt my daughter has excelled in certain areas such as music and art, and have tried to implement that in her learning. I have struggled and struggled with the school system to afford the services that she requires. The school system is always more then willing to point out that, according to their tests, there is something wrong with your child's development. They are even patronizing when you try to tell them that you see a brightness in your Child, as if they have pity on you because they feel you have not come to the reality that your child has a learning disability. But at the same time, these same individuals take their sweet time and literally drag their feet and you have to literally fight tooth and nail to have services approved. In my battle, being a single parent has made it that much harder. I feel as if they are prejudgmental because my daughter comes from such an environment and I feel I have given just as much if not more than what a two parent household can provide. I feel the questionnaires that they have you fill out is an invasion of one's privacy and is prejudicial as well, asking you what your present employment is and how much education you and your spouse have completed, as if to say that based on that, it determines your fitness as a parent or your child's ability to learn. In watching your program, last night, I automatically said that is my daughter. Your show has been a Godsend to me and my daughter, we can now move in the right direction so that little light inside of her will shine for the whole world to see. In closing, I would just like to comment that I feel as a mother no one knows my child better than I do, it is unfortunate that in my case educators would not listen to me when I tried to enlighten them as to the little girl I know and love, only basing their opinions on standardized testing as a whole not on each child as an individual. I thank you again. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I thought this documentary was extremely well done. My own son has severe learning disabilities and I especially appreciated the diagnostic procedures of the doctors who were thorough, honest and up-front but positive at the same time. The one area of disagreement I have is that the interaction with the school is far more often that of the teenage boy, Adam, than of the elementary school child who repeated first grade and went into resource in second grade. My own experience has been one of bureaucratic denial and foot dragging, refusal to implement IEP strategies and refusal on the part of the classroom teacher to even acknowledge that learning disabilities exist. My son's second grade teacher claimed, even after the testing documented his problems, that it was not that my son couldn't do the work it was that he wouldn't do the work. Therefore the teacher did not feel it was his responsibility to stick with the learning accommodations for longer than a few days. We have twice been forced to hire advocates to represent us against the schools in order to force them to comply with his IEP. A lot of the strategies that work for children with learning problems are just good basic teaching techniques from which all children could benefit; but they are expensive and slow down the teacher in terms of what can be "covered" in a semester. They do not fit the current climate of hurry up and prove what brilliant children we have because we have exposed them to so much material, nor does it contribute to teaching to the standardized tests which now plague our schools. These tests in and of themselves massively contribute to the LD child's sense of depression and defeat about themselves and they pull those valuable resource teachers away from the classroom and resource room during the time that the tests are being prepared for and taken. Even when you figure out what is wrong and the strategies to attack the problem it gets increasingly difficult to get the public school system to work with you and the amount of ignorance among regular ed teachers as opposed to special ed teachers is mind boggling. Thanks so much for the show and the links to help. It is a very emotional road the parents of LD children have to travel with few obvious sign posts and time, which is so crucial, passes so quickly while you are floundering around trying to make sense and make decisions that will help your child. A show like Misunderstood Minds can bring a lot of clarity and comfort to many a parent lost in the dark. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I wanted to thank you for this wonderful documentary. It explained learning differences/disabilities in a way that was easily understood while presenting the emotional side of these issues in a thoughtful and sincere way. My husband and I are the parents of two boys, ages 22 and 16, both of whom have learning differences. Our older son is now a successful architectural major in college in spite of late recognition and intervention. Our younger son is a patient of Dr. Levine's. We traveled to North Carolina in 1994 to see Dr. Levine because of the severity of our son's learning difficulties. He has almost all of the learning problems discussed in your documentary. For ten years he has attended a private college-preparatory school in this area that specializes in teaching dyslexic students. Because of early recognition of language and other developmental delays (at age 3), and applicable professional interventions and therapies, he is in ninth grade and has far exceeded everyone's expectations. It was doubtful at first if he would ever be able to read, but now he is regularly on the honor roll, and he will no doubt be successful in life due to his extremely hard work and determination. He has never given up and continues to surprise us everyday. Both of our sons are Eagle Scouts, and they both are determined to reach any and all goals they set for themselves. The amount of daily energy that is required to do this is greatly underestimated. We are proud of our sons, and we wish with all our hearts that ALL children could be so blessed as to have early recognition and intervention for learning difficulties. The money that could be saved in long term social problems as they mature into adulthood would be worth every dime invested when they are children. My children have been spared. How many others fall through the cracks every day. Thank you for bringing this issue to the forefront. I hope changes will be made so that all families, regardless of economic situations, can receive the services that they need. This is not a choice our society must make. We believe it is MANDATORY that we do all we can to create an educational system to meet all children's needs, to give everyone the opportunity to be independent and productive members or our society. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I have a child with learning disabilities, specifically in reading. This article has enabled me to see what it is like for him to read. I found the "try it" segments challenging. My 15 year old daughter also found it frustrating. Especially the one where you have to listen to the teacher give directions. Our pictures did not turn out like they were supposed to. I find that there is little parental support in my community. Disability is something you don't talk about. The teachers at my sons school are very helpful and we have been working together since he has been in first grade. I would love to talk to other parents whose children have a reading disability. I find it very frustrating and worrisome that he will have trouble finding a job when he is older. He does fine as long as you read the homework to him, but has trouble when reading it himself. My son is a twin and I had wondered if that had anything to do with it. He has a twin sister and she has no learning disabilities. We have had to split the two of them up in school. She is a year ahead of him. Your article has helped me to understand more about the struggle my child faces in the classroom. It is also hard for me with the teachers in the regular classroom. Some are willing to accommodate for his disability and others are not. I feel this is not a good situation. Everyone has the right to a good education. The resource teachers my son sees are doing a great job. I just feel the need to be able to do more with him at home and to be able to overcome his negativity towards reading. We have tried every book I can think of to interest him in reading. He would rather play. I hope to find a way to keep improving his word recognition skill so that he won't be quite so far behind in his reading. Thanks for the article. It was very informing. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Your PBS program was wonderful. I finally have words for the struggle my youngest is still experiencing. He had many labels during school...none of them positive, but all having to do with failure. He dropped out of High School, was accepted into Colorado State University on the strength of his test scores, but I can tell by our phone calls that he is not as successful as he would like to be. Most likely he is failing...because the patterns of his early school years were never changed. Do University's have programs to recognized and address graphomotor problems in their students? Luke felt that if he tried hard enough, he would figure out how to deal with his challenges. I know that isn't always how life works, yet the schools here did not even know how to and/or were unwilling to, test him for anything but the most obvious learning disabilities. I would be grateful for any information about recognizing graphomotor problems in a 20 year old. Thank you for the hope your program does give! March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I thought the documentary was way too nicey-nice. On this subject, I think we need a documentary to follow 5 kids through the educational system, testing etc. show everyone the ugly IEPs and the Due Process system and the mediation. Show the tests results that indicate that the child hasn't made any progress in the Resource Room. See all the educators trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. At the end of the day no matter what the learning disabilities are a child needs to be able to read! Cheryl Barrar March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I want to thank you for providing this important information. I particularly like how you provide "hands on" information on how people with attention problems experience auditory directions. My 11 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in first grade. He is currently in sixth grade and we are still struggling with keeping him on task and following through with assignments. Even though he takes Adderall XR once a day, he still needs an extra push and confirmation to keep him focused. Through his elementary school years, we have had only two good teachers who have gone the extra mile to provide the direction and patience that he needs. He will be starting middle school next year and I am hoping that I can find the right resources and encouragement to guide him through this new school system. Thank you again for this much needed exposure and information to better understand "misunderstood minds." March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thanks so much for your informative documentary! As someone who works for a children's literacy organization, I primarily watched it to learn more about the difficulties faced by some of the children we serve. However, I sympathized especially with the fine motor difficulties one of the children (Nathan S., I think) experienced. As a child, I was considered an extremely advanced reader but was very poor in math and the physical act of writing. After looking at some of your online links to dyscalculia, I found that all the symptoms of this problem correspond to the problems I had with math and gym. This is definitely a learning experience--I wish that my parents/teachers had picked up on my math problems sooner and not overlooked them simply because I excelled in reading. Thank you! March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for your program. Out of all the students you featured, I can relate to Adam the most. All my life I struggled with learning problems. I hated math, could not spell and my reading comprehension was the worst. I got out of high school with a 2.0 because I never was a behavior problem. The teachers liked me. I was told by my guidance counselor that I should go to a technical school. I ended up going to an all girls college in Raleigh. But I struggled. My first semester I was on academic probation. but when I finished I was given a award at graduation for the most improved grade point average. But the thing was that I still struggled. I would stress and had to go to the doctor for ulcers in my mouth. I would study for 2 weeks for a test and I might get a B. It wasn't until my last semester in graduate school (Masters in Learning Disabilities) that -- through the help of professors at NC State University -- I discovered I had a disability. What a relief it was! That was six years ago. Now I know why I had to struggle all those years. And I was one that fell through the cracks. I think if I was in school now I would still fall through the cracks. I really saw Adam struggling but he did want help but just did not know what to do. Nancy Frazier March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for scheduling this program. I can see many uses for the information that was presented, uses with teachers, students and families. As a teacher, my concern is about the way(s) we can get further training in the diagnostic and teaching methods portrayed on the program. I am also wondering how we can possibly hope to uncover the special talents of each of our children when our teacher to student ratios are on the rise. I taught 28 children my first year, 66 my fifth year, 165 my third year and 310 in year twelve. In my twelfth year I was having to learn everyone's name by Dec.! I think we need a campaign to lower these ratios coupled with more training and practice of your methods so that we can help all children succeed. Deborah Bambino March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I thought the show was great even though it was really hard to watch. I am an adult who was a learning disabled child. I was dyslexic but for me the problem is with numbers and not letters. I am able to read and write very well but I have extreme difficulty doing math. I understand the process but the numbers always come out wrong. For me school was a frustrating, humiliating experience. I knew I wasn't like the other kids because I had a lot of trouble with knowing my left from my right and was unable to tell time on a clock until I was in 4th grade. However, all I got from teachers is that I was "sloppy and careless." Needless to say, I didn't get the help I needed, all I got was tested once in 6th grade and they never told me what they were doing. I spent my school years feeling like I was stupid and had to hide it from everyone. I took a similar path to Adam. However, there is hope, despite barely graduating from high school, I eventually did go on to college and found what interested me. I graduated with honors in Economics. For parents of kids with learning disabilities, there is hope. Zoe Lorca March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for airing "Misunderstood Minds" last night. It was the first time that my husband could finally see an example of how our son's behavior could be an actual disorder of the brain and that he could be helped with professional advice. It seemed to change his attitude toward an appointment we have with a neurologist next month. It offered me a lot of hope for our son, and I have ordered two of your videos to share with our son's school. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for sharing this information with so many people. More thanks for the resources posted on your Web site. I am a parent of a 9 year old dyslexic daughter. I fought back tears as I empathized with the parents featured on the program, and understood the feelings my daughter may be struggling with. It has been such a struggle to find information, resources and support. I now have this information to add to my growing knowledge of learning disabilities and be a better advocate for my child. I will highly recommend this web site resource to other parents and teachers. Again, thank you so much. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am more than a little disappointed in the documentary and in this Web site. I had hoped that these stories would have been put into a broader context. We heard from the parents and the outside experts who have tried to assist these children, but where were the schools and teachers who failed to identify these problems and provide appropriate instruction? Each of these children should have entitled, under the IDEA, to an IEP and a Free Appropriate Public Education. I assume these families had to endure an IEP meeting where their concerns were dismissed (such as Adam testing "average"), or blamed on the student (Adam was "lazy"). Another favorite tactic is to blame the parents for not reading to their child or helping with homework. Did any of these parents seek a due process hearing to force the schools to provide appropriate services? Were they ever even informed of that right as required by law? Adam's most positive educational experience was IN JAIL! Nathan's family had to resort to home schooling and, eventually, a military academy. What an indictment of our public schools! Where were the educators who had so completely failed these students? Those would have been interesting interviews, to say the least. (Especially the school that found Adam's educational testing "average.") An even broader discussion would be the failure of reading instruction, which leads to many of these children's problems. As far back as 1929, Dr. Samuel Orton predicted that the sight reading method, or whole language, was a faulty method of teaching and would be an obstacle to reading progress. More recently, the National Reading Panel's report stated that a failure to teach systematic phonics was equivalent to educational malpractice. Yet sight reading instruction persists, and the children are blamed for not teaching themselves to read. These stories are only the start of the discussion, and the tip of the iceberg. Thomas Mostowy March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Enjoyed "Misunderstood Minds" on PBS, March 27. Our son, who is now 33, also was diagnosed with an auditory perception problem between 5th and 6th grade. His hearing levels were normal. The psychologist indicated he had an I.Q. of 115 at that time, which she stated was above normal for his age. His school years were very frustrating for him and myself. Some of the comments on his report cards, even in 1st grade, were similar to those mentioned on the program: he's lazy, doesn't use time wisely, etc. At one point in 4th or 5th grade I questioned a teacher of numerous years experience if he might have a learning disability and she laughingly told me "no, he just is manipulating you." I began to notice he seemed to forget everything over summer vacation from the previous year or couldn't complete homework, because he would say they hadn't gone over it in the classroom. Then, I saw a TV program on Phil Donahue with an author who had written a book on learning disabilities and I discussed it with a friend who had a son and daughter with diagnosed learning disabilities. She also had the author's book, which I read. This book only confirmed my suspicions. She advised me to contact Intermediate I.U. 8 to request that my son be tested. I.U. 8's solution was to put our son in a remedial room during his study-hall periods. It was a small group of 10 to 12 and lasted through 12th grade. My friend advised me to request another test after graduation to determine where his development was at this point. Once again he was taken to a psychologist who, after testing, stated he no longer had a learning problem. This finding I strongly doubt. More than likely he had learn to adapt. Our son went on to a community college, has a 2 year degree in Building Construction and now has his own business and is very successful. His confidence level suffered through his school years and to this day still is not what it could have been if our educators had had the training that is still badly needed in colleges and universities across the nation to recognize learning disabilities. One can only imagine where and what he would have been with earlier invention on the part of our education system. Thank you for a wonderful informative program and all your efforts to help the children of our nation. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: For anyone who read Michael VanHoy's post regarding lead poisoning I would like to add some information. We renovated a 100 year old house over a 15 year period which overlapped with my son's first 12 years of life. In our area lead testing is done by a pediatrician if he finds that a child lives in a house built prior to 1950. My son's test was negative, no lead poisoning. Many years later I found out that blood tests are not an accurate indicator. Blood is continually being replenished and filtered by the body. Exposure from years ago will not show up. Instead a hair follicle can be tested. I encourage anyone with concerns about lead poisoning to seek a facility that can do this. Debbie March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I was very in tune to the program last evening. So many of the learning styles of the children are present in my own child. He is going to be eight in a month and is only completing the first grade. He is in a private school and has two resource room teachers. I have been blinded about how to go about getting him tested for the type of learning problems he is having. It is my hope that with the information I received from this web site and the show, that I will begin the process of finding out how my child can be helped to make him successful. I have an added reason for wanting him to succeed and that is his father who also struggled in school and as an adult took his own life a few years ago. Not saying my son will do the same but it certainly gives me something to consider. Traci L. Mumma March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: As a teacher, I found this program a very powerful message of what we need to do in education. Instead of spending millions on state assessments, moneys should be put into reaching all learners. It is a travesty and unethical to allow students to fail when there is a possibility for students to learn and succeed. Teachers do not receive the appropriate training for the diverse learning styles in the classroom. I have taught since 1979 and have not through any formal class received the kind of training necessary to meet all my student's needs. We need more of what Dr. Levine can offer the educational community. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: A GREAT BIG THANK YOU! After 12 years of reading every book on the subject of ADD/ADHD and learning disabilities, 12 years of attending every workshop and seminar on the planet, 12 years of flushing money down the toilet for counselors and psychologists who know less about the topic then I do.... Its hard to find anything that I don't already know, already tried regarding my son's difficulties in school, yet somehow you managed. I have been at your web site all day. I can't get enough of it. I have forwarded it to every parent and educator I know. I have ordered the tape and am encouraging the school district to do the same. I can't thank you enough. Instead of feeling like there is nothing more we can do to help my son, I now have hope again. Debbie (the mother of the smartest D student known to man :^) March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I was very happy to see the struggles of learning problems being explored. Overall I thought the documentary was done well but I do think that there were some glaring omissions. There failed, in my opinion, to discuss what actual forms of special education the children needed or were getting. At first glance it appeared that the last boy Nathan was diagnosed and all he needed was to be sent to military school. At no time was his education plan discussed and how the military school was going to meet his unique challenges. As many parents have found out private schools tend to reject children with special needs They usually don't have the services in place to provide them with their needs. There was no mention of what the school was going to do. The story of the child from Boston omitted a diagnosis. No where did I see any type of IEP developed and discussed with the parents or shared with the viewers. I must say that in a way found it sad that the host of experts did not step in and try and get help for this boy. Obviously his only hope was to attend a private school that dealt with LDs. Watching his parents say at the end of the program they have "hope" was so sad as it appeared that they still did not comprehend that their son could not read never mind learn. I am encouraged and hope that more programs that deal with LDs are developed. As a parent of a child that was just diagnosed I can honestly say it was the most alienating and frustrating experience I have encountered. I also learned that people should be careful of where their child is tested if they choose to get an independent evaluation. Not all evaluators are like Mel Levine. After spending $2,000 at Children's Hospital in Boston I was told that my daughter was tested too early. I haven't any idea why no one told me this before I subjected my 6-year-old to the battery of tests or before I spent my money. However, I was appreciative that the school came up with a diagnosis. It is an open field and there is still so much to be explored and done to help these students. Here in Massachusetts our state legislature cut funds from special education programs and these changes are now being felt in the schools. I hope all of the people who voted in favor of the bill was watching as the horrible facts of what happens when children are not given the services they deserve were revealed. I also hope that this pressures the federal government to step in and do provide the finding that is needed to make a difference. I hope more programs are developed soon. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Wow! I only caught part of the documentary last night but what I did see really hit home. This is powerful stuff that for the first time really puts focus on the realizing that learning needs to happen in a variety of ways. For that reason I like the term "learning differences." And I think the benefits can go further than just the classroom. Can we take it further? Understanding that there is more than one way to learn or more than one way to organize your day or more than one way to look at a problem... Teaching the world to understand and accept learning style differences will go further than just the classroom or reducing the literacy rate or reducing the prison population. I think it can really help us understand and accept differences in religion, in our neighbors, in foreign governments... But (forgive the melodrama) it all starts with the children. Kudos to all parents and teachers who continue to stay involved and work with your children! And much thanks and continued success to the researchers who have devoted their efforts to such a just cause. The world is a better place because of you. And to the children (and adults) who struggle with these "learning differences": Never forget you are creative, intelligent human beings! Accept your difference. Use your ability to see things in a different way to your advantage. Your brilliance will shine! March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I thought the documentary was extraordinary. There are so many children and adults dealing with these issues and they can be painful, confusing, embarrassing and life altering. Thank you for shedding some light on the problems and offering some solid solutions. I especially like the concept of demystification. It weeds the blame and shame out of learning differences and in it's place sows seeds of understanding, hope and empowerment. I will be sharing this documentary and Dr. Levine's book with many parents I know who are dealing with these trying problems. I am disappointed, however, that the book and the documentary did not deal with "sensory integration" problems which can contribute to learning difficulties. In all my many dealings with professionals over the years, this has not been raised as a concern despite my constant questioning of symptoms/idiosyncrasies that have been present in my two boys since birth. My children have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and it now comes to my attention, through my personal research, that "SI" disorder often overlaps with or is misdiagnosed as ADHD. "SI" disorder has been recognized and studied since the early 1960s. People need to know about it's existence. Thank You, Carolyn Everett March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: IF YOU CAN GIVE YOUR KIDS ANYTHING, GIVE THEM HOPE. I have four children ages 20, 18, 11, and 7. ALL my children have learning disabilities. My 20 year old son was not given any help until he reached high school, but by that time it really was too late. He dropped out, got into drugs, and trouble with the law. He's now 20, has gotten his GED (while incarcerated) and is going to a small college, and working part time. He's still struggling, but is coping much better. I remember when he was 13 and taking anti-depressants, my hope was that he be able to graduate high school. Once he started getting into trouble and drugs my hope changed to keeping him alive. I always told them just because you learn differently than others doesn't make you less, just different. I never understood the "WHYs" of all this. But I do believe in standing by your children no matter what. Through all the bad things they do (stealing, lying, etc.), I never turned away from them. I didn't condone what they did, I've had to turn him into the police and put him in drug rehab. But I was always there to visit and encourage. Please give your kids the encouragement they need and make sure they know you love them no matter what. The world is a lonely place, let them have a place to go to and a person to listen. I'm still struggling with my younger ones. It seems like I'm always fighting with the school system because they only have so much money. I take the stand that my child has a right to an education just like everyone else. They have a right to learn their way. I know it can be discouraging and tiring, it can seem like it's a continual battle. But in the end, my kids may not be geniuses but they're happy, and they're kind, loving people to each other and to everyone, and hopeful. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I've been "pulling my hair out" with my 14 year old, whom is intelligent, but has consistently failed miserably, in school. He was just recently diagnosed with ADD with "oppositional issues," along with an eye disorder: "convergence insufficiency, disassociated eye movement/fusional automaticity." This results in the prefrontal area of the brain not being free to learn. Information does not shift from short term memory to long term memory (much like a VCR recorder won't record, if one doesn't hit the record button). All this means that he is an audible learner, not a visual. I wish I knew about this about 14 years ago. HAVE KIDS CHECKED FOR THIS EYE CONDITION - MOST OPTOMETRISTS AND OPTHAMOLOGISTS SIMPLY DILATE THE EYES WITH DROPS, MERELY SAYING "THE VISION OUT OF EACH EYE, IS 20/20" THAT TEST IS NOT ENOUGH! CHECK FOR CONVERGENCE INSUFFICIENCY, TOO! Steve Tauriainen March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Hello, I have been reading your site and I am confused and disappointed at the lack of information regarding physical conditions which actually cause ADHD-like symptoms. My son was diagnosed with ADHD and when I began to research this there was an abundance of studies/information on allergies, yeast problems, food additives and dyes. Also there is has been significant research on fatty acid supplementation and the success of treating kids this way. The best books are The LCP solution, "Is This Your Child?" by Doris Rapp, MD, and "The Yeast Connection" by Dr. William Crook. We are in the process of treating our son for yeast overgrowth and mold allergies and have already seen significant changes, behaviorally and cognitively. If we had followed the recommendation to medicate him his symptoms would have been covered up and his real problems would never have been treated. I am greatly concerned that most of the children on Ritalin are not really being helped at all, just drugged. Thank you. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Last night was like finding a friend. I, too, have a son like Nathan. My son, Lucas, is bright and articulate beyond his 8 years. He's had great experiences and exposure to science due to my career, and loves the natural world. School has been a nightmare since pre-K. He has struggled with the basics of the alphabet, patterns, memory. He is reading very far below the rest of his class. At a recent meeting with his teacher and resource teacher I mentioned that I felt he was an auditory learner, and how he could read a word in one sentence, and be unable to read the same word two lines down. Lucas can remember and repeat lines from movies, every Pokemon character and its abilities, tell you about frogs and Pleistocene mammals, yet the word "the" seems new all the time. It is a frightening feeling. Many people in his father's family say I don't push him enough, that he is lazy, or they have given up on his future already. He has reading, language, and math support in the resource center. He recently was observed by an occupational therapist because he has poor fine and gross motor skills, and she has made suggestions which we are implementing. I have been concerned about pushing him at home, so I try and keep it light, but wonder if I shouldn't be working with him more. The most wonderful thing about Lucas is that he keeps trying. He says school is more difficult for him than the other children, but he keeps trying. Karen Wegner March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Misunderstood Minds was an excellent description of the difficulties of people with learning differences (please don't call them disabilities, these kids are ABLE TO LEARN, but in their own ways). It only touched on the heartbreak of the wasted potential of these young minds, and only gave us a brief glimpse of what it is like to be an adult with a learning difference. From my experience as an adult who probably has ADD, and the parent of a teenager diagnosed with ADD at age seven, it is emotionally very hard to accept learning differences when others equate something a kid can't help with laziness and stupidity. It is difficult to identify learning problems, and it takes persistence and determination to find one's own path to knowledge at ages of life when it is painful to be different. Three cheers for all the kids who continue to work in spite of the obstacles that uninformed educators place before them, for the teachers who go out of their way to help, and for parents who stay by their kids' sides while they struggle. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am a parent of two sons who both had learning disabilities or a should say who both were intelligent young men but learned differently from other students. I was and still am a very involved parent, although they are both in early twenties. I had to diplomatically fight, argue and persuade the school that my boys needed more than the school could offer. I eventually with each son had to go outside the school system because they weren't willing to see there was something wrong or different. As in your show it takes its toll on the parents and also on the child's self esteem. I can tell you that as a parent to keep encouraging and looking for what is best for your child out there and most important hug them and tell them a million times how important and wonderful your son or daughter is. It will make a big difference to them whether they get the support from school or not. I still find my sons struggling at times with college and I don't have all the answers either but I will keep searching as well. Your program was outstanding and it showed that there are great doctors, counselors and teachers out there to help us. We have to keep fighting for them to become more available. Every one of those five students on your documentary is a beautiful individual and has a gift/talent to share with this universe and I hope they keep fighting because I believe in them. As for the parents, I honor them for coming on television with their stories. Please continue to believe in your children and don't give up. Thank you for being a wonderful TV station and continuing to offer programs that are important to people like myself and others. Donna Berkeley March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Your program was the most moving and informative I have seen on the subject of learning disabilities. I hope that it will be shown many more times. My son was in first grade when I began worrying about his inattentiveness and behavior. By third grade it looked as though he was headed towards being totally ostracized by his piers and teachers as well as becoming seriously behind in his education. Due to the inexperience of school's special education teacher who tested him, my son was refused help and described as "just an average student with some learning disabilities." I want to encourage parents to take their children to professionals for testing (which can be covered by insurance). School systems often see children with learning disabilities as a drain on their special education budgets and will oppose coding them for services. Your program pointed out the dire position this puts the child in, if ignored and left to flounder. Fortunately, I had a good friend who was a psychologist and acted as an advocate for us. By fourth grade we had won the right for my son to receive classroom accommodations and individual tutoring. He graduated from high school last year with a B average. There are support groups that will direct you to resources in your locale. Finding help for a learning disabled child is an emotionally and physically draining fight, but it is well worth the struggle. Susan Lanterman March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for the insightful documentary on learning disabilities. Our youngest daughter was a bright, creative and extremely intelligent girl, whose grades and self esteem plummeted between eighth grade and her senior year of high school. After two years of therapy and medication, little changed in her academic performance or her lack of self esteem. My husband and I and our daughter struggled through most of her high school years to find answers. We never did, and she withdrew from high school in January of this year, just a few months short of what would have been her graduation. She is planning to obtain her GED and attend college, but my husband and I are concerned that the issues which caused her failure in high school have not been resolved, and that she will find herself in the same academic decline as before. Since her test scores on standardized tests were always extremely high, (98th percentile- composite) her teachers never expressed much concern over her lack of organization and inability to complete work in a timely manner. She was able to sail through most of elementary and middle school with top grades, due to being a gifted reader and a very good writer. As classes became more demanding in middle and high school however, her habit of last minute preparation and flying by the seat of her pants, failed her. As a result, her high school years were fraught with academic failure and feelings of isolation, as well as feeling she was now thought of as one of the "dumb kids" after years of being an honor roll student. I am very fearful of what will happen in college, since we do not feel that our daughter ever received adequate treatment for her learning problems. Kathy Winn March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for addressing misunderstood minds. my 9 year old son has been misunderstood since he was 3 and in preschool. He has been diagnosed with the following: ODD, OCD, ADHD, Aspbergers syndrome and severe anxiety disorder. The problem is David learns differently. It has taken us 6 years to figure it out. The schools are supportive but some swear he does things "on purpose." We have found that David learns best by walking around, tapping a pencil, squeezing a ball, etc. We know that he has to have at least 1 hour of physical exercise a day. Otherwise, he becomes a hard to manage child. Our family has been in turmoil since David was 2. It effects everyone in the family. If David is in a bad mood, everyone suffers. His brother Ben shows signs of stress as a result of his brothers behavior. We have learned a lot over the years and it is getting better. I feel it will have to take a true miracle for the schools to "wake up" and start teaching to all children and not just a few. I have found out over the years that my son is a square peg and the schools are trying to fit him in a round hole. It isn't going to happen. Thank you for your documentary. I believe there are more "squared pegged" children in this world than "round ones." Sue March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: "Misunderstood Minds" was an excellent presentation. In 1974-75, our family had to "fight" for our son who was showing symptoms of learning difficulties. We were not informed that there was testing and tutoring available through our public school system. We took him and had him tested, at our expense, to receive the diagnosis of dyslexia. His teacher was informed of the learning disability and responded with "What's that?" Needless to say, that year was spent in educating the teacher, also. We transferred our son to a school which had more focus on those children with learning differences. We also enlisted a tutor who worked with children with dyslexia. We also had to petition the schools where our son attended to allow for taping of class lectures, taking oral; not written tests. When barricades would be encountered in the educational system, undesirable behavior would be exhibited by our son which was a red flag to us that things were not going well and we would once again advocate for him. Our son went on to graduate from college, dental school, and is now an oral maxiofacial surgeon. Parents, don't give up. If you don't advocate for your child, no one else will. One of our son's sisters is now a special education teacher. So, out of difficult situations, some very positive results can occur. Early detection and diagnosis is the key. Continue your excellent programs. They are appreciated. Dawn Beckley March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: My son is Nathan to a "tee." Absolutely every detail you describe for Nathan is my son, Timmy. One day does well the next day completely blank. Organizational skills are atrocious. In fact, I don't think he has any. Can never do homework because he can't seem to get the concept of what to bring home. Fruitless efforts by teachers to keep binders organized for him just doesn't work. We used to have teachers fax homework to me so that we could get him to do something, but to try and get Timmy to do anything was frustrating. I'm sure the constant struggle all day had him exhausted by the end of the school day. He's a freshman now and we have him on Concerta. Does it work?? I guess it keeps him a little more under control in not being impulsive in blurting things out in class, but it's not 100%. He just doesn't care anymore. Extremely low self esteem. Just hoping he develops an interest in something and we can gear his energy into that to learn a trade or something that he will succeed at. At this point, I don't know if I would trust him in any kind of a class that dealt with machinery, or anything that he had to be 100% attentive in doing. Timmy is also an excellent athlete, but with the ADD and not being able to process directions he was unable to stay on any sport. Really tried one year to play football but by the 2nd month of practice he lost all his equipment. He just couldn't remember what he did with the stuff after practice. He eventually got so frustrated he stopped going. Basketball he just couldn't follow the coach yelling directions at him as he was playing. You could see this blank look on his face. I feel so bad for him. You know he has the potential for so many things, whether academically or athletically, but there's this disorganized mind that interferes with everything. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Where were you 8 years ago? I was left banging my head against a wall trying to get help for my son. He was one of those children who fall through the cracks, since he was not a trouble maker in the classroom and learned very early how to use his other abilities to mask his disability, the teachers saw no problem, or they chose to over look them. It took 6 years before I finally was able to get teachers to listen to me and get him tested. Now that he was diagnosis with a learning disability, he was given "Learning Support," but they still are not working with him on how to improve his reading or writing. He is managing to get through classes and is in the College Prep program and a honor roll student. Who can not read or write to his ability. He gets notes given to him and study guides and word banks, plus the chance to be dismissed from the classroom to go to the L.S. room for extended time for testing. How can I get the school to help me work with him more(?) and not sound like a nag?? I have another son who was diagnosis at the elementary level and was able to get into an early intervention class. Only problem with him is his teachers in the Middle School level. Since he is classified as "Learning Support" they think "C's" are great grades. They are unwilling to even try to work with him and think he should either be put in the Resource Room full time or keep up with the rest of the class and fail. How do we get teachers to rethink how they teach children? I know and you know that each child is very different and that learning will be different for each one and that they all learn at different levels. Thank You. MELANIE WANCZAK March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you so very, very much on this wonderful program. My son that just turned 7 this month, is in first grade, and has just been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder last month. I saw him through several of the children featured in the documentary. He is the third of four children. The youngest boy. I sat and cried as I watched the program -- over and over -- because I realized that everyone around my son -- my husband and I, his grandparents, his teachers at school -- had actually hurt him rather than help him. I say that because everyone just thought he was lazy. I think I refused to believe he was lazy. I just believed he needed more individual help. Which he wasn't getting at school. I have watched a very outgoing, loving, friendly boy turn into a very frustrated, crying, boy that is losing his friends in school. They're calling him stupid and a troublemaker. His teacher verbally degrading him in front of the other students, and he hates going to school. He loved kindergarten. But everyday begs me not to go to school. The doctor that diagnosed my son said his test results were "average" for his age and that made the school system not able to put him in a special education class. His teacher insists the only way to help him is to put him on medication. We are searching for other ways, but I am the only one in my entire family to even consider putting him on medication. I think this show "opened" my husband's and in-laws' eyes as to the more seriousness of what's going on with our son. Maybe now, and with further research, we can get my son some additional help. I wish my son's teachers had watched this program. I don't believe they are qualified to help him. We have no Resource Teacher in our schools, which may be the problem. I am even considering contacting Dr. Levine for additional help and testing. THANK YOU PBS FOR AIRING THIS TERRIFIC PROGRAM. IT HELPED MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW. Tracey March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am in the situation right now with my 10 year old boy. I was thrilled to come across this show last evening. I see my boy in each of these children, one way or the other. I am seeing a neuropsychologist on 4/15 and am now feeling optimistic instead of depressed for my child. Your show made so much sense, it was very brave of these families to share their problems. I would like to say thank you to each of these families and PBS for airing a show like this. We also have been through all the school testing and given the diagnosis of ADHD and medication. We know in our hearts that the problem is deeper than this. I was thrilled that there is help, I only wish that medical insurance would cover a lot of this kind of testing. We are paying out of pocket, and the cost is enormous. I feel that we are missing precious time with our child. He already had the inadequate feelings, and he is trying his best. I hope for his sake that we are not too late. He will be going into the 5th grade. Joan MacDonald March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: This is an excellent program. I saw myself in Sarah Lee. I remember having great difficulty expressing my thoughts as I was growing up. I felt stupid when trying to follow and participate in discussions in school. Teachers said I was lazy and "not living up to my potential." I was frustrated. I had trouble reading and remembering what I'd read. Studying was difficult because I would get stuck on a single paragraph or sentence when I read the test material. I found that using a rocking motion while reading helped. In class, teachers found that to be distracting and would try to stop me. Once I entered college, I found that reading while on a bus or train was easier for me. I read faster and comprehended more. To this day, I need to be moving in some manner when I read. I've often felt fellow students and co-workers were much smarter than I was although I realize that probably was not the case. While I could understand basic concepts, I only had a surface understanding of abstract vocabulary, and couldn't use such words in a sentence. I forced myself to read as much as possible and look up words I couldn't clearly understand. Making myself slow down while speaking also helped. I had more time to think of what I wanted to say and how to say it. I also cannot follow written assembly directions, nor can I thread a sewing machine as I cannot follow the sequence. I can't follow complicated verbal instructions either. I get lost after the first step is given. Thank you for this program. I hope it makes people and educators recognize that there are many types of LDs and solutions out there. I was never diagnosed as having a learning disability, and yet I'm sure I had one or more in combination. I wish there had been more awareness of these disabilities when I was a student. I feel I could have received help and ultimately accomplished more. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: The show, misunderstood Minds, was an excellent story and how the mind works. I have a brother who is dyslexic and he just graduated college, which is an excellent accomplishment for him. I also have a nephew who has a learning disability and is in the 11th grade, not doing well academically in school but is very artistic, does Karate, can wrestle and any other thing that he puts his mind to, but cannot seem to grasp or get good grades in school. He is very intelligent and extremely smart. The program opened my eyes to what goes on with kids such as these and how they can succeed even against the odds. My husband is a elementary school teacher at a local private school and saw in the program kids from his class that have the same problems that the kids you featured. Now as a teacher he is going to order the video so that he can share this information with other teachers and help them learn about disabilities that plague these kids on a daily basis. Thank you for opening our eyes to what really goes on in children's mind with disabilities. I have a four year old and I will make sure I read to her every day and broaden her horizons on a daily basis. Thank you, Thank you, Thank You. Sincerely, Yolonda Carey March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for the informative documentary. I have taught special education for 31 years. I feel this documentary is clear and tells the public the reality of misunderstood minds. The Web site and resources are excellent. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I saw a clip of this documentary on Oprah as well as the entire documentary on PBS and I am delighted that a subject I have devoted my entire adult career to is gaining public attention. As I watched the children's stories unfold, I could not help but consider the part the parent's played in each scenario. While "demystifying" the problem is most certainly of great value to the struggling child, the role of the parents in both the problem and the solution is key to a successful outcome. Often one or both parents have similar or related learning /social difficulties and only by "demystifying" the familial connection and adopting a multi-faceted approach to learning involving all family members can a positive outcome be expected. Lizabeth L. Viggiano March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I felt that it addressed some mild issues of reading and writing difficulties, however the children you chose were not very delayed. I also found it very discouraging how misinformed these parents were, especially Adam's. I wanted to just shake those parents and throw the latest copy of the IDEA at them, and say, "Hello?! You have a right to an appropriate education for your child, there are alternatives to typical special ed classrooms. Look into it!" I also was discouraged that the psychologists and the persons who tested these children were not actively seeking an appropriate program and school for them. I'm sure that being in the business as long as they have, they would have a knowledge of various programs. It could be that it just wasn't shown, but it seemed as though they tested them, identified the problem and left them on their own. There are many alternatives out there, other than self-contained special education classrooms, resource room and general ed classrooms. Unfortunately, there isn't a "Zagat" survey for special ed programs. It's up to the parents to be your child's advocate. You have to start making phone calls and talk to other parents. Parents are the GREATEST resource for us. Another suggestion for these parents is to join a parents support group, an online message board, do research online. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank heaven, someone is doing research and trying to educate the public on these learning DIFFERENCES. My son, Stephen, was diagnosed with a learning disability in 4th grade. He is now in the 7th grade and is suffering terribly from teachers who don't seem to understand his disability. Worse yet they don't care. These teachers yell at him, tell him to "get organized," and regularly humiliate him and NEVER teach him how to make accommodations for his difficult areas. This year has been a nightmare and we have been communicating with the schools through meetings (at least 7), phone conversations, notes in Stephen's planner and letters since before school started in September. I have my son working with a therapist because I knew that just having his family tell him how smart he is just wasn't enough and I was fearful of the consequences of not feeling like he fits in. He has said things to me this year like: "Maybe I am dumb," and "They couldn't do anything worse to me at school unless they started to hit me." How do we reach the schools and even more important, how do we reach the teachers who teach these children? I purchased the video of the program after I watched it last night. I had my sons and husband watch it with me. Stephen said it was "scary." He knew just how those children felt. I'm sending this Web site to the teachers and supervisors at my son's school and I will offer to share the video with them. I seriously doubt, based on my experiences this year, that they will be interested in watching it. They teach materials, not children! Despite the fact that I've also been treated like I'm stupid and difficult at the meetings I've attended at the school this year, I am a registered nurse and have a B.S. degree in education. We will keep working with our son and never give up but, we have considered giving up on the public school and home schooling him. I hate to think of doing that. He is in the local school district that I graduated from, my father retired from (administrator and teacher), and my mother still works in (school librarian). I will not let him get to the point of giving up on learning. The schools seem quite willing to let this happen. I guess this would work for them, they wouldn't have to deal with my child's problems or his difficult mother if I took him out of school. Thanks for offering a place to share our frustrations! March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I want to thank you for your very insightful program. Like all PBS programs, It was very informative. My son Christopher has a lot of the symptoms of the children in the special. He is a bright young man but has always had problems when it comes to doing his class room work. I have had him tested for psychological problems but I never thought of having him tested for a learning disability. Now I have emailed his counselors and have arranged to have him tested for the new year. I cannot thank you enough for helping me save my son from a future of dropping out of life, taking drugs and a life of being in and out of jail. Too many children fall through the cracks of this system. All children do not learn the same and they should be allowed to excel in their abilities and be celebrated because they are special and be made to feel so. I also have to address the fact that teachers classrooms are so overcrowded that they cannot give the attention to their students. consequently, the learning disability is often missed until it is almost too late and the child is labeled as a behavioral problem or lazy or just given up on. These children need someone to advocate for them and parents need to support each other when dealing with children who learn differently. Again thank you for your wonderful program. I will share it with as many parents as I can, and encourage them to go to your web site and seek more information. Sincerely, Denise Tuggle, a grateful mother March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: What an eye-opening presentation! I was very impressed with the teachers/professionals who were so willing and eager to help the children. Unfortunately, I was not surprised at the comments made about test scores indicating that one of the children was "average." To me, that showed just how unwilling and uninterested some administrators are, in providing free and appropriate education to a student who requires extra time and patience. It also indicated that these administrators probably do not have the needed training, in teaching children with disabilities. I have three children, and two of them are in special education. I have done a lot of research, in understanding their disabilities(one is autistic; the other is developmentally delayed)as well as educating myself on what the school is suppose to do, in providing my boys with a free and appropriate education. In the case of Adam, the school system failed him. Adam had advanced to the 7th grade, and only had a 3rd grade reading level. Why didn't anyone notice this? The teacher in the juvenile center was able to provide an appropriate method of teaching Adam, and he responded. As soon as he was back in public school, the appropriate teaching was gone, and Adam was lost, again. His parents did their best to help him. This presentation reinforced my determination to make sure that my school district has qualified, trained teachers, who understand my children's disabilities, and that these teachers are able to teach my boys at their level of understanding. The presentation also showed that a positive outcome is possible, if parents and teachers take the time, communicate, and work together, for the sake of the children. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I have a 15 year old son who was diagnosed with a rather complicated web of language-based learning disabilities, including: dyslexia, language processing disorders, graphomotor disorders, speech anomalies, and dyscalculia, over almost ten years. It seemed that the disabilities presented themselves in layers, like an onion being peeled away. My son is a bright, engaging boy with a wonderful dimpled smile who, one year ago, began treatment for bi-polar disorder, on top of the other challenges he faces. I found your program quite uplifting and have passed on the recommendation to the teachers and tutors we have worked with over the years to view the Web site and purchase the video. While I don't have a happy ending to report at this time, I do have to say that the school system, after many years of my having provided my son with advocacy, is working with us to the best of their ability. He is now being provided with one-on-one help in a mainstream classroom. By and large, the attitude from other students has been positive toward my son, and I attribute this to a climate where his differences are accepted. I want to stress that parent advocacy is the key to obtaining services from the school system. If you are a parent who suspects that your child is struggling, don't sit in silence and allow your kid to suffer. Act now. We were fortunate to have a wonderful principal in elementary school who encouraged me to forge this territory and opened doors for us that might have otherwise been blocked. It has never been easy, but the help in advocacy I have been exposed to and my unbending desire for my son to find peace and fulfillment have made it possible for him to have made great strides. He is now a ninth grader and is looking forward to a hopeful, bright future. The story is not over, but there is definitely hope. Cheryl Brown March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I watched the show and it brought tears of pain and joy to my eyes. I have 2 children, a girl 11 with ADHD, and a boy 12 with ADD w/o hyperactivity and I was diagnosed last year with ADHD and started taking Adderall. Our household was chaotic before the children and I were diagnosed and treated and my husband was understandably confused. I am now separated and struggling with that, but I was finally able to understand so much more about our struggles as a couple, the children's struggles, our parenting issues, and how to make more improvements in the situation for all of us. When I listened to the story of Lauren, I saw myself and it helped me personally to give myself grace. As an adult, I had 40 years of the messages that Lauren was getting and finally I am able to put my life into focus and to better understand myself and my children. I am so thankful for the show and for the research and studies done on ADHD. With this show, I was able to make some progress in my struggle to understand why I have such low self-esteem and why my children struggle with that. It is also so helpful to know that I am not alone, to know that there are other parents out there with children that have the same difficulties. I would recommend that anyone with their life touched by ADHD and/or a learning disorder watch this show, even children. Peg Patel March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: What a wonderful documentary. I have worked with special education kids for 15 years and your program really captured the types of problems they and their families face. I wish every teacher had to watch this video -- it would go a long way in raising the level of understanding. The PBS site is awesome and the chance to experience the problems is very instructive. Kathy March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: What a great program! I called at least seven people to tell them not to miss it. In my case, the school district operates as though it is cheaper to mislead parents rather than to address the needs of struggling children. I truly believe our educators and administrators regard children with learning differences as "beyond help." Though services may be promised, rarely are they provided and rarely are they significant enough to make a real difference. I have a wonderful second-grader, very much like the first child featured in "Misunderstood Minds." I have an attorney and an independent educational consultant. Even with these costly and expert resources, it will be very difficult to secure appropriate instruction for my child. It's very scary that I have been so ferocious, and yet, have made so little progress with my school system. Your documentary was so encouraging. I know we are heading for a better time for children of different learning styles. Thank you PBS! I am grateful that I have had the wisdom to support public broadcasting over the years. I can think of no other source for documentaries of this caliber, timeliness and importance. Lisa Anderson March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. My sister told me about the show yesterday and I taped it so I could watch it VERY carefully. It brought me to tears because I have become so desperate in trying to get help for my 11 year old son. He is almost identical to Nathan S. I have been trying to get help for him since he was in the first grade, to no avail. I got so much information from both the show and your Web site that I am better prepared to deal with him, his problems, his school and the doctor. The interactive examples have shed new light on how my son feels about learning (because he can't explain it to me--duh) and now "I think I get it." My son has classic graphomotor problems to start with. Then he is so easily distracted and does not comprehend what his teachers are saying. Math is his worst subject because of his lack of basic skills (he still counts on his fingers to add and subtract yet knows multiplication perfectly and division throws him a curve.) We spend hours each night doing the simplest of homework. I am at my wit's end. I have always thought my son did so well on the testing administered by the schools (and he's been tested 3 times by 3 different school districts) because they were done "one on one" which is how my son does best. I was so excited to hear the explanation of the strengths and weaknesses "averaging" out because that never crossed my mind. Even his teachers have been surprised at the results of the tests (well, those who cared anyway.) I become enraged when I think of how our schools have special programs for the gifted, the disabled, the ESL students, the poor, the bad, and in our town--even the pregnant...but they make NO effort to help the struggling. My child is in the downward spiral so often mentioned in your show, thoughts of suicide included. I know now that I must immediately seek the professional help he requires before he too becomes a statistic. The schools today are throwing so much information and responsibility on our children so fast that I wonder if we aren't making the biggest mistake ever. I believe this Web site should be mandatory education for ALL teachers, counselors and administrators, and the guy who changed borrowing and carrying! (And they should have to pass the tests--PERFECTLY!) Again, a thousand "thank-you"s to all involved with this project. Awareness is so important and I am so grateful for all you are doing. I would like to shout this information from the rooftop and hope if falls on those who need it. I will certainly share your Web site and this valuable information whenever and wherever I can. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: My son John has many learning problems but is very intelligent. He recognized himself on the show in three of the children shown. He had great difficulty decoding words until I taught him a phonemic method in fourth grade. It still took so much effort for him to read that he would forget what he read after he finished a sentence. Last year I read a book that talks about using kid's visual and memory strengths to help their reading and comprehension. I had John use this method and told him to picture what was happening in his mind and if he lost the picture to stop and have me read it or reread it himself. For the first time he started reading grade level and above books by himself and enjoying and really understanding it. However, John still has great difficulty in writing, speed in reading, staying on task. He is extremely distractible, unorganized, holds a pencil in his hand like the rural boy in the show. My son scores extremely high in reasoning, higher thinking skills, spatial ability, etc. but can hardly copy a sentence down. He is very verbal, extremely creative, and can dictate full stories and compositions in perfect form. He gets some accommodations at school but what is frustrating is that he has not been taught many skills in coping with these disabilities even reading was left for me to figure out how to teach him. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Contact your local Parents Information Centers. They can advise you where you can get an educational advocate who can help you "police" the schools to assure the IEPs are being followed. Learn the federal as well as the state laws concerning special education. Know your rights and the rights of your children. EVERY CHILD IS ENTITLED TO A FREE, APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION - It's the LAW! We parents need to educate ourselves so that we can advocate for our children, but often times there becomes a gap between the schools and the parents and who suffers for it in the end?? The children! We need to bridge this gap and sometimes it is not possible for the parents to do it alone - that is where an educational advocate can help. The advocate "works" for the child, helps to plan their IEPs, and based on their IEPs, helps obtain the proper placement for your child. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: My daughter and I just watched Misunderstood Minds together. The show had her undivided attention which is something that doesn't happen very often. She is so much like Lauren and Nathan S. They made many statements that were almost exact quotes from my daughter! It brought tears to my eyes. I hope that it allowed my daughter to see that she is not alone in her struggles. She is 18 years old now, and will be graduating in June. She has been diagnosed with ADD; however, she also has been diagnosed with partial agenesis of the corpus callosum. For years her ADD symptoms have been ignored by her doctors and the school. Just within the past two weeks she's been diagnosed again with the ADD, and she has started taking Adderral XR. It's too early to tell too much, but I did notice the first week she read half a book and was very focused on her art work. I was so impressed with the work of the teachers presented on the show. I constantly struggle with my daughter's teachers just to have them follow her modifications as required by law. I've paid for two neuropsychological tests, but the school system has never attempted to understand my daughter's learning style. They don't even want to look at her reports or the doctors suggestions. Sadly this is one of the top 5 high schools in Texas. Thank you for producing a show which so clearly represents the struggles our children face every day of their lives. It was comforting to see these children getting the kind of help they need. Cindy Brandon March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Our son Kevin is dyslexic and was not diagnosed until we came to Utah from Newark California where he was labeled lazy. I don't think I need to say how difficult his teenage years, much less younger ones were. He was diagnosed at the BEGINNING of the 12th grade. Kevin is now the technical engineer for a communications company Kevin has had a very hard life (with a painful divorce) and very low self esteem. He says that he had to get out of school to find out that he was SMART. The military is what saved him and he almost flunked out of his communications class but finally told the Sgt. of his dyslexia. He was given an oral test and was the outstanding student of the class. Kevin maintains all of the phones and computers for his state's prisons. For many years we worried that he would be an inmate in one of them. He is a fine young man who is well liked by those that he works with and knows. Your documentary brought back many painful memories and hopeless (and helpless) feelings of those years and I am grateful that the School in Utah requested to test him. They brought him from the 2nd grade math and 5th grade reading, to the 2nd year of COLLEGE in ONE YEAR. He went from a little bird with his wings clipped, to an EAGLE SOARING, and his self esteem began to climb. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I found "Misunderstood Minds" to be very interesting. I was personally diagnosed with severe learning disabilities as a 1st grader and received services through High School. I went on to college and graduated. I agree that early treatment is necessary. (I take issue with some of the methods that were used.) I often wonder what my experience would have been like if my learning deficits had been ignored. Would I have gone on to be a delinquent child? Would I have gone to college? Would I be a productive member of society? Would I have found success in areas that are outside of academia? As an adult I know my deficits have not gone away. I have learned how to compensate over the years. I think my best tool is structure/self discipline! Not letting my difficulties be an excuse..... I owe a lot to my parents! I have read books about LD in children, but there seems to be very little out there regarding how LD impacts my life as an adult. I have a great deal of interest in understanding my deficits. I know this issue permeates every area of my life; from the way I see myself, to my career, to my social life. Do you know of any resources for an adult who went through the special education system? Do you know of any studies / books written about grown LD kids who received assistance early on? March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am currently 22 years old and grew up having undiagnosed ADHD. I was not diagnosed until I was 21 on my own accord. While growing up, I had many of the obvious symptoms of a child with ADHD but having a high IQ, people seemed to feel that it was best to leave "well enough" alone. My father felt this way and continues to. I currently manage my syndrome on my own with a combination of exercise, counseling, diet, and Concerta (Ritalin). I was previously a firm believer in solving such syndromes without medication unless there are no other options. A doctor I trusted however, asked me to give it a try. I was concerned because I felt that it may change who I am. I am happy to say that by using Concerta as a management tool in moderation, I have found that not only am I myself, but I feel like the parts of me that hid behind my disorder are able to come out and I am now even more myself than I ever was. I am more involved, have made more friends, have a better time in school, and more often do the things I always think I want to do. Although I still forget my keys on a daily basis and need to get up and walk around from time to time, I would not want to completely loose my disability because that is a large part of who I am. I am currently watching the show with the 11 year old girl and I can identify with her in so many ways. She is by no means alone. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Thank you for a very informative and sensitive presentation on the variations of learning disabilities. I was diagnosed with "mild dyslexia" when I was about seven years old and experienced many of the issues that were presented in this evening's program. I am now 46, I completed college, became a nurse and now sell in the medical industry. I feel I have overcome many of the early issues of my learning disability but it was not without a price. If there is one thing that I can not stress enough to educators of learning disabilities it is to not focus just on the child's inabilites but to instill a strong sense confidence in the child's strengths. Dr. Levine seems to have recognized the importance of this balance and I praise him for that. My sales job sometimes puts me in contact with the prison systems. I have heard of so many stories of misguided lives of inmates. I strongly feel, and as your program pointed out, if education could work early with the learning problems of youths we could avoid many problems with delinquent or criminal behavior later. I hope to get involved with an illiteracy program in prisons soon with the hope of doing a small part to help others to learn to read and maybe also to help others gain confidence with the challenges and rewards of learning. Thank you again for a valuable program. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Tonight I watched your show misunderstood minds. I have a beautiful daughter. She is funny, intelligent, happy at home. She loves her family but she can't understand why no one likes her. Frankly we can't understand it. She is so sweet, but very quiet. Not shy just reserved in making friends. She is 10 years old and when I saw Lauren it was liking looking into the eyes of my daughter. I wish I could talk to Lauren's family to see how the story ended. My daughter does take a medication for ADD and it helps. Anyone who has advice for social skills please let me know what works best. It breaks my heart to watch her stand quietly alone waiting to be excepted. Thanks. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I had just got home from working with kids who display similar behaviors as seen in your show this evening. I am a youth advocate in the town of Farmington and a social work student at the University of Connecticut. I was very interested in the content and presentation of your show (misunderstood minds). It was informative, well directed and insightful. I am not married or have kids but I have had a lot of experience in working with troubled youth and their families. After viewing your show I felt compelled to check the web site because I am interested in purchasing materials related to this special. I think many of the kids I work with would be inspired and motivated to have an open discussion after viewing this special. Many act out in different ways or turn to negative attention seeking behaviors such as drug use, smoking, alcohol, criminal behavior, and other negative coping techniques. I continue to work with kids in different environments(detention centers, schools, groups, recreationally, and individual sessions) because they have so much to offer and I appreciate it their sense of honesty and rawness through discussions. My hope is not to change the world but to have kids look at their behaviors and understand the cycle of negative patterns which can stem from not speaking up and holding stress inside. I agree with the show in that we as society have an obligation to give students today a fair chance to succeed. Not only intellectually but emotionally and mentally. I was touched and moved by this show and I hope CPTV continues to air such quality programming. Sincerely Realistic Social Worker March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I thought this show was excellent. I have a 14 year old son diagnosed with ADD/Depression. We watched the show together. I saw much of my son and could identify with all of the parents that shared their stories. I also felt it underscored the frustration we have been and are still going through with "hit or miss" therapy, as well as little assistance from the public school. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: The story of Adam strikes a cord with me. I am currently living the nightmare of having my daughter fall through the cracks. There is so much to our story that it is hard to summarize, but I am going to try. There is no name for my daughters delays. She has seen a neurologist since she was nineteen months old. She has had two MRIs and genetic testing, which are clear. She just turned eight 2/02. We were told that she would out grow her delays by the age of six. Well that did not happen. At six her IQ was 40, and we were told there was little hope. By the grace of God we finally found out about a therapy that has helped her. Her IQ is a 71 now with reasoning IQ a 79. This is just two years later. She was failed by the school from age three to six. We have been punished by our district with truancy charges being filed against my husband and me. She was there for the 10:00 a.m. attendance, leaving early two days a week for a total of 2 1/2 hours. Our local district also has refused all of our requests. We cannot find a private school to accept her, because she cannot read or write yet. She wants to learn to read and she tries to write. She loves school and wants to learn. Our insurance company does not have to pay for her therapy, since it is educational or developmental. Plus, we make too much money for any aide, or just have not found any aide. My husband makes more than $50,000 but less than $100,000 for a family of four. We paid more than $24,000 in medical expenses for 2001. We are desperate to help our little angel. I am so glad that there is finally a voice about the epidemic for these children. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: This was a very enlightening program to watch, but I was also impressed with your companion Web site. I too have a son who is going through this turmoil and as a teacher, I see this turmoil with some of my students. One thing that is so critical for us as educators to use in our room is the demystification that Dr. Lavoie points out. I find that so powerful to and for the students. Also, teachers and parents need to understand how the mind works. I was so happy to see the father of Lauren realize his child needed to try the medication. I hope you show this program again soon so that I may share this with my school. I did buy the tape... Thanks again for such a wonderful eye opener and I hope that those who did not understand now do. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: You cover Attention, reading, writing, math. My son can not spell. It took me 2 1/2 years to get someone to test him ( in 4th grade ). He is in Sp. Ed with modification. I have tried to get help through the school. Now he is in high school and I can not get the help he needs. I can not get someone at the school to work with him or me. Report cards come out in last then 2 weeks and a can not get all the teachers to let me know what he has to do to get all his work in. Because he is in high school they feel he needs to be the one to get his work from them. But he has to go to them on there time not his. Some of the teacher are not in the same class so he has to try and find them. I do not get call returned to me. All his teachers say he is a GREAT kid, helping, caring, great with others. So where are they when he needs help. I just do not know where to go. Who do you go to? March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: My daughter struggled with poor memory, very poor visual memory, test anxiety, social acceptance, no sense of time; and directional problems so severe she would get lost leaving a normal restroom. I knew and sought help when she was two. At the end of first grade she confused the words look and I. She is allergic to milk and improved greatly when we took her off food colors and reduced sugar. She is 33 now, and has graduated from college, but did not receive her teacher's certification because the principal of the school where she was successfully student teaching was told by the co-ordinator from Miami University that she was dyslexic. He said he would have no one with learning problems teaching in his school. This violated Ohio law, but she chose not to teach because of the way anyone who is different is treated at all levels of education. Another major dislike of our classroom system was that stopping instruction to help a child who had fallen behind was not permitted. She has worked as a very loved and respected youth librarian. It was children and books that she loved. Even when reading seemed impossible, she fell asleep over a pile of books instead of a furry friend. We can trace generations of bright family members with learning quirks. My cursive writing is legible only to my mother, I can estimate sums well and understand concepts, but still can not match table settings with the number of family members. "Who set the table? Can't you tell it was Mom? Mom, when are you going to learn there are five of us?" We would all laugh and our daughter knew she was never alone. My mother and I are creative. When I didn't get it one way she would think of another. I followed her example. If the mandatory testing had been in place then, both my daughter and I would not have made fifth grade. I could barely read at the end of fourth grade, but by the end of fifth I was reading ten to fifteen adult books a week. I would read my age appropriate books and then read my mother's library stack. I loved Thomas B. Costain. I have been married forty years. My husband has never recovered from his first trip to the library with me, but has adjusted to sharing the bed with books. My mother, my daughter, and I have not seen much willingness on the part of any school system to change or help. We were determined to succeed and had the time and the research abilities to do most on our own. My niece and her mother are going through this now. If you had included a spell check you would have heard from a lot more of "Us." We all received help early. Sometimes it seemed relentless, but it has worked for all three. It is the child that is important, not the family "image" or a clean house. "Not my child." Is asking for more trouble than the two to six hours a day it takes with your child. Baking to learn fractions is fun, and you get a lot of cookies. The most horrible words to us are "You have so much potential" or "You are just not trying." I tried so hard to write in school that my fingers bleed. An Act of Congress to give the right help would be better than all the testing that could be dreamed up. We demand quick results. Sometimes it happens in college. Thanks for the great work. Jane Usry March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am 53, as the 2nd child of seven, in 2nd grade the school declared that I was retarded. My parents claimed that they could see no difference between me and my older sister up to my age. My sister in high school scored an 800 on her verbal and math (1964.) My parents sent me to doctors and I was tested by many, I had dyslexia, ambolpia I write upside down and backwards, 20/400 vision in my right eye. My parents found a tutor who was a Quaker and taught at Friends Academy in LI, her method of teaching was tactile (using scored blocks representing 1,2,9 and 10 units two 5's were the same length as a ten, I could see and feel) She found out that I was fascinated about treasure and after a lesson we would go out of her house which had been in her family for hundreds of years and we would walk in the woods and she would point to sticks that crossed like an 'X' and I would dig and find coins from all over the world. I never as a child questioned how she knew where the treasure was. But she was a great teacher. Mrs. Lapham. My parents took me out of public school and sent me to The Advent Teller School which from the 4th through 5th grade was heaven along with the tutoring with Mrs. Lapham. Then in 1960 we moved and I was put into a huge public school and life went to hell. The comment made about social life in school being more significant than learning that was true in my case. I couldn't learn because everybody made fun of me. I don't know what it was about me that made me vulnerable but lacking some social skills might I think now is one of them. The 6th grade through 11th was hell..... It so happened that I was volunteering (my only social outlet) for a new Quaker College that was still in the process of being founded. I quit school and lived at the estate that had been donated as a possible campus, the estate had to be maintained in order to be saleable. I worked on the gardens, painting the big house and other buildings taking care of the pool, tennis courts and mowing the 8 acres of hilly lawn. I ended up becoming a computer programmer, developing a software package for Nurse Registries (home care and institutional staffing) and having one of my client's a major NYC hospital. The labor laws changed and not having the capital I ceased my business. I still feel the effects of the 6-11 grades and find it difficult to work for others. When I did the Nurse registry software if I failed (during development, 3 years my released software only had one bug out of 400 programs.) I answered to no one. One night while working late on a program I could not figure out why there were so many mistakes in it, finally I went to bed. The next morning I discovered that I was working on the wrong program which was running perfectly. Now I am unemployed and am trying to figure out how to get back to where I proved that I could succeed. I don't know why I had to tell my story. But I hope it will help in some way others. I was so moved by Nathan V, Lauren, Sarah Lee, Adam and Nathan S. and hope they will succeed. Now that the science is better and there are places that can help through all stages of life. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am an educator in the field of child development. I teach classes on identifying and assisting children and families with special needs. I was amazed by the in-depth coverage and was enlighten by the material. However, I was shocked by the comment of Adam's teacher. The comment I am referring to is when she stated that he was at the top of the class and could do the work "when he wanted to." this is the problem with identifying learning differences. the mind set is that the child is "lazy." It becomes a personal choice not to learn instead of a medical reason. Adam's teacher validated my belief that the mind set of society needs to change in order for the children to receive the help they need to succeed in life. I was in total agreement with telling the child about his/her condition. this approach allows the child to take ownership and motivates the child to achieve a level of success. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I recognize my daughter in Lauren's story. Our daughter Morgan has struggled with the very same things Lauren has. She is almost nine years old and since pre school she has suffered through social problems, organization problems, and like Lauren is lonely. I am thankful for this story because it gave me some new insight and ideas. Two years ago she was diagnosed with ADHD and started on Adderall. The only drug our Doctor believed in treating her with. That did not work, she was sick to her stomach and I felt discouraged. Was I making the right decision to medicate her? Here we are now over a year with no medication and a tough school environment, with a little girl who can't seem to have a good day. I'm up at school all the time. At home things are stressed because of her behavior. I will be calling a different doctor in the morning and seeking a change for her. My Morgan is one of the most gifted children I know and I cry over this. I am developing an incredible passion for children who are not like the rest. Thank you, Dr. Levine, for sharing this with Oprah today. I would not have known about the documentary tonight otherwise! May God Bless the difference you are making these children's lives. You have just blessed Morgan. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I thought the documentary was very interesting - but thought they should have covered what the school responsibilities are with regard to IDEA - in the case of Adam - the school system failed him! and still continue too. Many parents don't have the resources or knowledge of what to do or who to turn to - we rely on the school systems and its personnel to guide us. They, as was apparent in tonight's show, did not for many of these kids! March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Wonderful, insightful program! Hope that President Bush was watching--money should go toward learning, not testing. Hope educators were watching (probably not, it is Spring Break)--early intervention is paramount to future success. Advances in neuropsychology should be utilized, not dismissed. March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: I am currently in school at University Of Maryland College Park and I am majoring in Special Education. I myself have a learning disability and was able to relate to some of the individuals in the program. I felt that the program accurately reflected what numerous children go through. Hopefully, some educators viewed this program and learned that many of the students in their classes are not lazy and actually have great potential! March 28, 2002 Dear Misunderstood Minds: Our daughter is 7 years old, first grade and is/was struggling with reading and spelling. Her teacher brought this to our attention which I am finding out is very unusual. We visited a therapist for 6 weeks; no help and then I discussed it with our family doctor and he sent us to the OU Behavioral Sciences Center. She has been going through "testing' for the past 3 weeks and the doctor has already established that her IQ is 130 but her cognitive skills are 83. Red Flag! The doctor believes it is dyslexia not ADD or ADHD like the school thought. I found this so ironic since our visit was yesterday and your program aired tonight in our area. At this moment, I have no problem with the potential diagnosis but am faced with her having to take the Standard IQ tests and Iowa Tests at school next week and am not sure what to do. She will not be able to read the tests. Also, I know we will finish the testing at the doctor's but then what do we do, more importantly, what can we do now! You have to understand that our daughter was diagnosed with a congenital birth defect of the skin five years ago, underwent tissue implantation in three areas and removal of the lesions that the disease caused. Help, we need guidance. |
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