Press Release: Dyslexic Centre Australia is to launch
September 28th, 2009
In response to thousands of requests from frustrated parents of dyslexic children who struggle at school, we are proud to announce the opening of Dyslexic Centre Australia.
The first information weekend will take place at Rockingham City Shopping Centre on the 3rd 4th and 5th of October 9am till closing, situated near the food hall.
Committee members, pupils and families are available to speak with, sharing their experiences along with originators of the organization, including Dawn Matthews and Jean- Pierre Guillon, who are both world leaders in helping dyslexics.
Families are coming to Dawn and Jean-Pierre for assessment from all over Australia and both are particularly good at provided drug free solutions to learning for ADHD kids.
For the tax year 2009/2010, Dyslexic Centre Australia is offering free membership to individuals.
At least 20% of people are dyslexic, meaning that there are at least 130,000 currently in the education system in WA.
There are now just four SPELD organisations in Australia, with none of them able to recommend a school for dyslexic kids in Australia. We plan to raise funds to open and run the first one.
Dyslexics learn to read and write through phonics based learning and very few of them are taught correctly. Most are leaving school with very low literacy levels and even lower self esteem.
It has been established in the USA and the UK that more than half of all young prison inmates have this sort of learning difference. On the other hand, it has also been found that most of Britains 5000 self-made millionaires also have this type of learning difference.
Some families are resorting to moving from Australia to the USA, UK or even Zimbabwe in order to get their dyslexic kids educated. Many of the rest are being home schooled.
Dyslexic Centre Australia is different from any other centre as we focus on a holistic approach. We have specialist teachers, our own teaching programs that have been tried and tested for 35 years, councillors, IT specialists and a consulting research optometrist who specializes in testing the vision problems of individuals with learning difficulties.
This is an organization for dyslexics run by dyslexics who have very special expertise in this area and who are passionate about helping.
Before this opening we are holding a press conference on:
Friday 2nd October at 11am.
6 David Road
Waikiki WA 6169
(off Safety Bay Road at the end of the Kwinana Freeway).
When one family knew we were having a press conference they sent me this email asking for it to be included.
“Following the confirmation that Harry was dyslexic, we questioned the Association which tested him, asking where to find a school which could give Harry an intensive phonics program, including a multi-sensory approach to learning. They replied “well, you’ll have to go to America for that” – so we did! We could not believe that there was not one school in Australia that the Association could recommend. The Association did advise us on lectures and brochures on how to advocate for the child with a learning disability, how to get the best out of parent/teacher discussions, how to set goals for your child – all of which is great, but I been committed to that for the past 5 years and I was done with negotiating – Harry needed more.
Harry has now completed 14 months of schooling in America and has made substantial progress in all the literacy areas. He would have benefited from another year to help consolidate the learning areas but due to business and family pressures that was not possible. We are grateful that Dawn and the Dyslexic Centre of Australia is now available to carry on the good work that Harry has done over the past 14 months. Dawn really understands the needs of the child with dyslexia and I believe that the Dyslexic Centre will fulfill a huge need for these kids who learn differently. It also gives parents hope for their kids future too.”
Sonya de Bruin
21 Comments Add your own
1. Antonia Canaris | October 2nd, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Congratulations on the new centre! Please keep me informed about how it is going.
Antonia
2. Kate Spragg | October 9th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
I have 2 twice exceptional, boys 6 and 8 and would love to send them to your school. Please keep me up to date with developments.
Kate
3. Katrina | October 23rd, 2009 at 8:33 am
These sounds great ! My daughter is the third in your family, my father myself and now my 10 year old daughter there might hope. That she doesn’t have to go through school as told she dumb,etc.
4. Stef Hayward | October 26th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Hi I would like to help your organisation would someone call me on 0408853967.
i am a qualified teacher and also dyslexic!
Thanks
5. Alicia | November 21st, 2009 at 2:22 am
Hi there,
I would be extremely interested in your school. Has there been any further developments with this? When do you envisage it to be up and running? Lastly, would it be a school that caters for all ages (primary and secondary?)
Sounds absolutely brilliant. Please keep me informed!
6. Donna Malane | November 22nd, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Hi Dawn, very exciting news about the Centre – keep us posted on prgress, Anna is due to start boarding school in 2011!!
Thanks again for the brilliant work you did with her in July – she is working through her phonics programme and showing vast improvement in her reading and spelling. She tells everyone how she is going to be a teacher and how you are going to employ her one day.
What you have done for our girl’s confidence is awesome and we’re really excited that you’ll be able to share your knowledge with so many more kids in a school. Best of luck.
7. Lorraine | December 2nd, 2009 at 6:17 pm
A school for dyslexics, brilliant. It is a constant battle in the school system for a dyslexic student. They have no idea what it is like, and how they are crushing young people. It is like talking to a brick wall when I go and see teachers about my daughter. Even the special ed teacher isn’t very helpful. In New Zealand there are dyslexic friendly schools, and it is recognised there. My daughter wants to move to NZ.
Would love to hear the progress of your school.
8. Tracey | December 23rd, 2009 at 11:27 am
My son is 11 years old and is going into year 6 next year. I have been searching for a High School that will help him with his dyslexia. I am so tired of his teachers ignoring his basic learning needs and simply stating that he is not paying attention. My son is so nervous about school, he has the most amazing heart and I don’t want his spirit broken by teachers who don’t care about him or his learning difficulties. I don’t want him leaving school feeling stupid. I cannot tell you how happy I am that I found your site.
9. dawn matthews | December 25th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Hi,
I am doing my best to get a school started in Australia. I live in Rockingham WA and the first school will be near me. I need to showcase how these kids can be taught easily and become confident successful adults. I am not at this stage asking for a new school to be built, and old barn or any building would be fine.
In the meantime I am advising that parents home school and form local groups, most of the Urban kids being home schooled are either dyslexic or dyspraxic, and i will go and show groups of parents how to teach their kids and work out a curriculum for for each kid.
If anyone finds a school then that does teach these kids please i form me of it.
good Luck
Dawn
10. carolyn | January 25th, 2010 at 11:16 am
Thanks for everyone’s comments. So good to find we aren’t alone! We have 2 dyslexics at school. Qld Education will not recognise dyslexia, thought the other states did? We are moving schools this year. The damage one teachers aid has caused is probably irreparable. Child was much better off without that extra “help”. It wouldn’t even cost Qld Edu more to recognise dyslexia, just adjust methods to cater for dyslexia & all students would benefit anyway. If they would stop trying to “teach” these kids to work out the words (read) and just give them the word without the child having to struggle for it that is another chance for the correct word to be memorised. Eventually they will pick it up when their brain is ready to absorb it. The current method of “giving it a go” is damaging for these students. My child sometimes knows about 12 of the most used sight words, he was expected to read an A4 list of words he didn’t know and then write a story based on them. He and a friend were then punished as he asked how to spell something (they were working in groups). Hello?? He cant read!!! He reckons the others laugh at him for not being able to read but then are happy to help him out. The teachers destroy that and do nothing to help. It breaks your heart. A wonderful & brilliant state school teacher helped my child immeasurably one year by simply having him sit with a buddy and they were allowed to share and complete work together. This allowed full access to the curriculum without any stress. More recently our child was blatantly discriminated against over a long period due to his disability. What can you do when the “teacher knows best” and we have to deal with the resultant meltdowns and damage control? Worry about all the others out there? Thanks for the good work.
11. eva | January 27th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
I have 2 questions: 1) Will dyspraxic kids also be allowed to attend? 2) What years will be available? Thank you for planning this school, I pray that it succeeds.
12. dawn matthews | January 31st, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Hi,
Yes we at Dyslexic Centre Australia cater for all children and adults who Learn differently. Those of you who has gone to our website at http://www.dyslexiccentreaustralia.org.au we have noticed that our logo reads
“Proudly supporting everyone who learns differently”. We refuse to consider these kids to be disabled and are not into labels as such.
I personally consider that the education system is disabled and lacking in not being able to teach these kids.
We are hoping to give a presentation about this to the Minister of Education for WA soon, and I will be given her all the emails on this site to let her see what parents are saying.
So please keep them coming.
Cheers
Dawn
13. emma garwood | February 5th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
is it open yet ?? if not could you please give some advise re support in the northern suberbs
many thanks
14. Nikki Carstens | February 15th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Hi
We live in the UK and our 8 yr old son was in the State system where we became more and more frustrated with their lack of resources to admit he has dyslexia and to be able to help. We eventually found Moon Hall school in Surrey – a school only for dyslexic children. It is amazing how Sean is now starting to read and how his confidence has gone from 0 to 100! Good luck with starting a school. It is the best way forward. http://www.moonhallschool.co.uk for an example.
15. Carolyn Allan | March 7th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Hello, I would like to know how to join Dyslexia Centre Australia for free in 2009/10.I have 2 boys aged 9 and 7 with spelling/ reading problems. The school curriculum in Brisbane has done nothing to help them. I took them both to UQ Brisbane in Dec 2009 and the 9 year old was diagnosed with a severe phonological awareness problem. It has been very stressful as a parent to watch them suffering at school with their confidence affected and the school system failing to recognise or help them with this problem. I am searching for help and hope you can help us. Kind Regards Carolyn
16. Natasha Torrisi | March 16th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
Hi, I am from Gladstone, Central Queensland and resources and schooling is the same here as well. My son is 11 years old and suffers from Epilepsy, intellectual disability and now has been disagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia. He spent 2 years (after preschool) at the special school as we were advised that this was the best for his education but turned out it made him further behind, but now he is at a small private school that he loves and they work around his disability and do a program to suit his needs as he works at his own pace which is only a Year 1 level. It is very difficult getting support and help from Education Queensland when your child has a disability especially when it is a “too hard” case – we were told three years ago that our son would never be able to learn or write or read, but can now – with the right attention from the new school – has learnt all the letters and numbers and can write neatly but is unable to read and form words – this is very frustrating as a parent and heartbreaking when you can see that your child has potential to learn but the so called “professionals” are telling you that he will never amount to anything. You have to continuously fight for your childs right to be educated.
17. Nina de Billot | March 30th, 2010 at 3:17 am
Can you help us? We are a Norwegian/South African family who consider mooving to Australia. We have a son 13 years with dyslexia and my question is who can help us to find a good school for him. I dont know the schooling system in Australia. But I am sure that you have a lot of experience. We havent decided where to stay, I think a good school for him is main priority.
Hope to hear from you.
Regards Nina
18. Dawn Matthews | March 30th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Hi Nina,
Unfortunately we cannot find any school in Australia that caters for dyslexics. That is why we are trying to set one up. Mostly here the doctors outs the kids on Ritalin an the education minister says that these kids will never learn because their parents did not talk to them enough when they were little!!!!
I am trying to change this but its hard. dawn
19. Anna | April 27th, 2010 at 8:34 am
I’m an Orton-Gillingham tutor working at a private school for dyslexic kids here in Vancouver, BC. We’ve even had a few Aussie students over the years. I”ve spent alot of time in Australia and was surprised and saddened by the lack of proper help for kids with LD. So happy to come across this new facility and I look forward to hearing more about it!
My school is Fraser Academy, in case anyone is interested (a fabulous school for kids gr. 1 -12!)
20. sara | May 4th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
I’m really keen to know what Carolyn did about schools in Brisbane. I have just spent 6 months in the UK during which time it has become obvious that dyslexia is the problem for my 7 year old. Have to return to Australia for work and am trying to identify the right school. Of course I can seek out extra help, but I need to base myself somewhere that has a school that can be supportive
21. SarahWinters | July 10th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Thank you so much for such a great and inspiring post!
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