Last night I went to a screening of the film The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia. While I knew quite a bit of what was being said I had'nt ever see an MRI showing the region of the brain that works differently from that of a person who does not have a hard time reading. So that was great.
When I go to these types of things my feeling is that if I only learn one thing it's still worth it.
Of course I learned more than one thing though. Afterward there was a discussion and that part is always interesting. It seems that everytime I'm at one of these types of functions where there is a group of people all concerned about dyslexia in one way or another the following things seem to happen:
1. At least one person has to stand up and say what a great job their school/district/methodology or such is doing. I dont personally believe this but I have found this in so many of the situations that it leads me to believe that part of the process is that people have to be able to think that their choices so far have still been good ones. (I usually don't try to rip off the blankie even if I disagree).
2. Teachers and School Psychologists are very guarded. If they are in the process of making changes about the way they have been handling dyslexic children so far they are not forthcoming about admitting that they were not able to reach this population in the past. Also they are very "by-the-book" in their thinking with the idea that the law/ethics or whatever is on their side. Again, I disagree but I'm not at the point to personally call anyone out to their face right now.
3. There is ALWAYS a couple there with a sad, scared look on their face and I know that look. I have been where they are. The couple who have a child at home who is struggling and the lack of information, the misinformation and so on are continuing to hurt this child and this family. These are the people I usually try to reach out to. It couldn't be more obvious who they are. They may as well be wearing a sign.
So last night a woman sat next to me and we exchanged information and I will attempt to do for her what was done for me. A stranger, one who had been through and seen a lot told me in one phone call so many things I needed to know and so many things I ended up using and basically put me 1-2 years ahead of where most people would be. There is a lot of information that needs to be taken in and not everyone is ready to hear it. Still, I will lay it out there for the lady I met last night and hope that something is helpful to her.
Interestingly, although I know that one of the speakers knows the same things I know he did not speak about his knowledge of the private professionals or anything else.
Although I am more brazen in a lot of ways and would have in his position I realize that not everyone is ever going to be able to go to the school my daughter does, not everyone can go to one of the best pediatric neuropsychologists the way we have and not everyone is will to go as far with all this as I have (remind me to tell the story of the time my baby was in the PICU for 16 days).
There are many reasons for this and I see that what he is trying to do is to reach the groups that will have them bring the film and hope for the best for the masses of dyslexic children. I understand this, I just sort of feel like I never want to have to pull my punches the same way.
This is why it is good I'm not anything but a parent talking to other parents, I am personally free to say what I believe. I need that.
