Monthly Archives: February 2010

The first SKYPE assessment ..

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Below is feedback about our very first Skype assessment …

HI Dawn,
I will leave my blog here about the amazing assessment that was done for my 12 year old daughter (Hannah) last month. Hannah had a Skype assessment done here in QLD, live from Perth. Once we semi darkened the room and moved the laptop about, Dawn was able to see most of what she wanted too via the laptop camera.
Paying $200 for this service seems little in comparison to what I was quoted in Brisbane $600 for starters. It has been a relief to find out about Dyslexia and now Hannah and I can work together on it.’
She has just started high school here at James Nash, after being homeschooled and after a few discussions between the teachers, she has been able to stay in mainstream use a laptop and be placed in their new ‘digi’ class, class for mainstream kids to use computers etc….I have been really impressed at the willingness of the teachers to help her. I have made a special card for Hannah to show her teachers explaining how she learns best, i.e.) she needs hand outs etc.
Keep up the great work to all the parents out there and thanks to Dawn for seeing her artistic ability and abilities. Will keep you posted as I feel like we are making new grounds into the school- educating the educated. I am encouraging my wonderful daughter to pave the way for other dyslexics and others who have a different way of learning.
You will see me back as I have 7 other children, 4 of which could have some degree of dyslexia, but that will be another story,
Encourage others about the new way of testing via Skype, you will be amazed and blessed!!!

Can you recommend schools for Dyslexia in Brisbane?…

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Hi My son is 8 years old and has recently been tested as dyslexic and I was enquiring if you have any schools you could recommend in the Brisbane area and any programs or software that may assit

Hi,
I do not know of any schools that in way cater dyslexics in Australia. I am trying to set one up but it takes time, and anyway I am in Perth.
I am writing materials all the time and my new complete Dead Easy Phonics course in coming out next month, hopefully. In the meantime the best programs are the Nessy program from the Uk www.nessy.co.uk

My book Dyslexia – How to Win tells you a lot of things that are helpful. the rest of the material i sell will soon become a part of the new Dead Easy Phonics program. Mathletics is also the best I can suggest and can be found online at a cost of about $100 per year.
hope this helps
Cheers
dawn

What fonts are easiest to read?

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Hi Dawn,

Just a quick question for you. Which of the fonts that are generally available on computers are easiest for you to read? We would like to make all our marketing material as user friendly as possible for our clients and I presume that what works well for you would work well for other dyslexics.

I know that you were very impressed with the Nessy font but I don’t think that is generally available.

Hi,
Did a survey ion this last year. asked about 100 dyslexics and gave them a choice of the ones the committee liked best.

The ones that people liked best were the simple fonts with wide spaced letters.
I print my sites etc in arial,and my books are a now a combination of arial and bradley hand bradley hand. However the preferred fonts were those with a proper round “a” but there are no generic ones so sites cannot be made out them.

Comic sans was the most popular followed by bradley hand and the arial. If you expand the letters and put 2 spaces between every word it makes it much easier for dyslexics to read. Also bigger letters are better, and short lines.

hope this helps
cheers
dawn

Enquiry about my child … please help

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Hi Dawn, my 6 year old boy has been diagonosed with dyspraxia, add, dyslexic and possibly asbergers. He started school last year and had a difficult year. After much debate I finally gave into my pediatrician and put him on ritalen, purely to help him focus and concentrate for longer to learn. This year he is in the reading recovery program, unfortunately in nsw dispraxics cannot get funding for a teachers aid. It is extremely frustrating for these kids because of the lack of support they receive. Kieren is about 2 years behind with writing and reading, he is already noticing and wondering why he is not writing and reading like the others. Could you give me some advice on how to help him. How much does it cost to go to your school, what are the fees per term?

hi,
Unfortunately we do not yet have a school we are trying very hard to get funding. We are in Perth Wa.
he cannot be dyslexia and asbergers. thy are 2 completely different ways of thinking. He ix also unlikely to be both dyslexic and dyspraxic but it is possible. If he is not catching up with his schooling on the drugs then he should not be on them.

i’m currently assessing kids to find out what actually they have and then showing parents how to teach them using my teaching materials which are soon to be published. I am doing this through the use of SKYPE although some are people are actually preferring to come vast distances to see me.

my “Dead easy phonics program” will be out soon and this is aimed at parents so that they will be able easily to teach their kids themselves. although you have to stop the ordinary school homework to find the time.
hope this helps
dawn