For Ms T's sake- Part 1

Last Sunday I attended a Dyslexia Seminar: Helping Parents Help Their Children. I am a parent and Ms T is dyslexic.. so I went. My expectation was very low but it was proven wrong even while listening to the first talk by Prof. Dr. Zabidi, a paediatrician from USM. I guess it would only be fair if I shared what I have gathered and understood from the talks given not only by the mentioned professor of neurology and kids specialist but also a senior lecturer, Mr. Jambunathan from Monash University Sunway Campus and none other than the one and only Puan Sariah Amirin, the President of Dyslexia Association of Malaysia (she was my ward mate in Ampang Puteri... another story to tell later).

The first talk on Overview of Dyslexia : An informative ONE!

I got very useful input on understanding dyslexia from the root. The first point: He said that the womb is the safest place in the whole wide world (which I am exaggerating) so that the brain of the baby is safe even if the mother falls on her buttocks 2 or 3 times during the pregnancy. I had in mind before that I could be causing Ms T her dyslexia because I did fall on my big ass 2 to 3 times when I was pregnant with her.

Secondly, he mentioned about how the cells in our brains are pruned. Like the way the university gardener prunes the bushes to make them look pretty. However, the pruned cells are then grown back by the help of some elements that I don't remember the names.

He also talked about some other things that were worth remembering and like a studious student, I was taking notes some suggestions on how to assist Ms T to be better at reading and to have more vocabulary. Might as well writing this is point form:

1. overstimulate Ms. T's brain with words and pictures. Always ask her to name the items she sees everyday. Dyslexic kids forget easily... I guess the pruning of the cells happens so fast!

2. overwhelm the senses by reading aloud to her. She picks up words from what she hears... instead of reading in my own room by myself, I now should go to her room and read aloud what I have let it be Dicken's Great Expectation or Botton's Status Anxiety.

3. use facial expressions when communicating with Ms T and also Ms N. Kids, according to him respond to facial expressions and eye contacts more than words. It is no use if I tell the girls to hang their towels at the towel hangers if I am yelling from the kitchen where they can't see me. The best way is to go close to them, hold their shoulders lovingly and make sure their eyes meet my eyes so that what I say will be more meaningful to them  and the order will be more effective.

One last important message from The Kids Doctore is there is no magic solution. Psychological support is important and I have to remember that depression can fail even a child who doesn't have dyslexia. I feel relieved that I have learned some new things about dyslexia that helps me to understand Ms. T better. The second part will posted when the time comes... (can't write when potty calls)