By Nicola Killops
James was a happy, healthy, thriving boy. But even as a newborn, he wouldn’t sleep. He had always been an extremely active, but bright, sunny boy.
In daycare, James met all of his developmental milestones, except speech. I began to wonder why other children were fluent, but not him. We were reassured that some kids just took a bit longer, but when a friend came over, with a child one full year younger than James, who could speak fluently, I knew I had to make some forceful inquiries.
James was still in daycare when doctors diagnosed him with ADHD. The medication brought some relief to his sleeplessness but did little for his restlessness and focus. Looking back, during the consultation he tried to climb the walls and jump off furniture. Fortunately, this daycare accepted his quirkiness and recognized he was extremely imaginative, spending days in his fantasy world.
When formal schooling began, things worsened. James felt overwhelmed and anxious, and often acted out. He found solace in the library which was ironic. He began play therapy and was treated for anxiety, leading to a switch to a more expensive remedial school. In Grade 1, the school suggested a one-on-one facilitator, which was costly, but even with help, he struggled. He memorized reading material rather than truly learning it. After a major tantrum, the school called me in, revealing unacceptable handling at after care. James was left devastated by the experience.
James was diagnosed with high-functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome, he was moved to a special school for Autism. His young teacher adored him, and his emotional healing began, but he couldn’t read. At eight, he was illiterate, and they added Dyslexia to his diagnoses. We were happy there, as James felt valued. Through the grapevine I learned about an intervention, new to South Africa: The Davis® Mastery for Dyslexia. Two students who had completed the program no longer needed extra reading lessons. I knew I had to get James into a program.
Our nearest licensed Davis facilitator, Axel Gudmundsson, worked with James for nine days. Though challenging, Axel helped James, who was illiterate and autistic.
It was tough, it took endless negotiations to get James onboard. Axel truly had his work cut out for him. By day three, Axel had won him over and James could name all alphabet letters, recite them forwards and backwards, and attempted reading on his own – something we had never dreamed possible.
The most remarkable change was James’s ability to grasp concepts like disorder, he began cleaning up after himself. He recognized cause and effect, realizing that his actions and behaviors were directly related to consequences, James even realized when his actions or words hurt me, and apologized, on his own accord!
“ By day three, Axel had won him over and James could name all alphabet letters, recite them forwards and backwards, and attempted reading on his own – something we had never dreamed possible.“
Since working with Axel, James had continued to make steady progress. We had been working through a follow-up program at home for an hour a day, four days a week. To my surprise, he embraced these activities – something he would have previously avoided at all costs. He no longer protested or ran away; instead, he seemed to enjoy the work.
James made independent attempts to write and type, which was a huge improvement from being completely illiterate just a few months ago. For example, he tried to Google something, even if the spelling wasn’t perfect. Importantly, he no longer gave up and cried in frustration when he struggled. Instead, he simply asked for help, and I was able to spell things out for him so he could transcribe accurately. This was something I had begun to think might never happen.
The most meaningful progress I saw was in James’ ability to express himself through writing. Before the program, he fought and avoided even basic writing tasks, like signing his name in a birthday card. But on Mother’s Day, he independently wrote me a heartfelt letter saying he loved us and that we were the greatest parents. I didn’t care that the spelling needed work – this represented a 100% improvement from where he was just a short time ago.
I knew James was one of the most severe cases of dyslexia, so my expectations had been realistic. But I couldn’t help but wonder what Axel could achieve with a dyslexic child who was already functionally literate. The progress James had made felt almost miraculous. What started as a last-ditch effort had truly paid off, and I was so excited to see where we could go.
The principal of James’ special needs school noticed significant improvements in his handwriting, writing skills, and overall confidence and happiness in the classroom. They described him as a “star” who took much more pride in his work.
Note: James completed the Davis® Mastery for Dyslexia and the Davis Autism Approach® programs.
Whether you’re an adult or a child, whether you struggle with ADHD, autism, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or executive function difficulties, we are experts who understand neurodiversity ‘from the inside’ and can help you realize your true potential.