New perspectives on many learning difficulties and further insights into Autism

The publication of “Bridges to Success – how to Transform Learning Difficulties” is doing what I hoped it would – giving people a different perspective on learning difficulties and teaching whole families new skills to improve some of the symptoms, whilst treasuring the exceptional skills. There are thousands of desperate parents out there who would love to have new simple skills to try out with their kids and it is a delight when I get feedback from readers, normally around “thank you for helping me understand my children”. 

Since publication we have continued to investigate why and how grounding is such an vital part of the jigsaw puzzle.  Having devoted 2 chapters in the book to all the symptoms that are seen as a direct result of being ungrounded, our attention is now on why children are so ungrounded, what causes it and what are the benefits to the individual.  The results of this are likely to be many and varied.

Grounding is such a simple skill and free to anyone I would recommend that anyone who has a child with learning difficulties finds out more, reads Bridges to Success and if you are motivated to help others with challenges do feed back your experiences to us.  Grounding is free, which maybe the reason it is so often dismissed, and from my own experience and that of others it can literally be “the essential key that is so often overlooked”.

We really want to know more about your experiences, do leave your posts here.

Is the paradigm of learning difficulties shifting?

People have been connected into the old paradigm which really doesn’t match who people are today, in this highly visual creative world.  The old paradigm is connected to a deficit, finding some or all of spelling, reading, concentration, organisation, short term memory, comprehension, physical stability etc very difficult.  The old paradigm is being loosened through counter case studies of people overcoming these challenges through a new understanding of visual thinking and an appreciation of the genius of visual thinkers.

I want to give individuals the opportunity to connect into a new paradigm of infinite possibilities, letting go of the behaviours that have so confused individuals, their families and those who have tried to teach them. The new paradigm is full of opportunities, for people to focus their exceptional skills on, their creative talents and above all to be themselves without the confusion of the old paradigm.

To achieve this the education system needs to learn from these people, tapping into their extraordinary gifted ways of learning.  We need to disconnect from the old paradigm of teaching people more and more stuff, proving what people can’t do and beware the damage and judgement that follows this.  We need to engage with their creative side of problem solving, opportunities, seeing challenges from different perspectives, etc.  These are the skills that are so needed for the current time in which we live.

As people relax into the person they are, discarding the energies of what other people think they should be, they become more grounded, and a calmness comes over them enabling them to connect in their true essence and their inner truth, excelling in their chosen field.

You need to look past the debilitating symptoms to the exceptional talents these people have and once we respect those talents, they can flourish.

Recently, I am really encouraged by the talks from Sir Ken Robinson, and recent research that is starting to acknowledge these exceptional skills.  For instance the New York Times reported Dr. Catya Von Karolyi saying  “dyslexia should not be characterised only by a deficit, but also by talent” and from Matthew Schneps’ work on peripheral vision, “in some situations, it turns out, those with dyslexia are actually the superior learners”.  Attached is a list of the benefits of Dyslexia. Others being produced for other “learning difficulties”

We have a long way to go in trying to shift the paradigm for the whole of learning difficulties, but we are seeing movement.

You will find Bridges to Success – How to Transform Learning Difficulties, offers you many more different perspectives. www.bridgestosuccess.co.uk

Reduce stress in your family over half term

Reduce the stress of homework and make learning muuuuuch easier. In just one day the whole family can improve literacy, numeracy and Dyslexia – yes, in just one day.

“Now You Can Help Your Teenager or Young Adult Free Themselves from The Chains Of Dyslexia and Grow Into The Talented and Uniquely Gifted Individual They Were Born to Be”. All in just one day

Come and join us on Monday 13th Feb, and make your half term something to really celebrate. Go to link for more information.  You must not miss this great opportunity

For all my followers with Autism, Aspergers, ADHD

What do you know about grounding. Everyone can be grounded or ungrounded and most people have choice. It seems that many with special needs especially Autism, Aspergers and ADHD are very ungrounded almost permanently. This discovery has come from years of working as a health coach, observing people with challenges, those who have got over them and those who don’t have them. Being ungrounded accounts for why some people have a better quality of life one day than another, and nobody notices the fundamental difference. On their bad days they are very ungrounded.

The thing is that you can flip between being grounded and ungrounded in seconds and as you start to become aware of the difference you will notice how appropriate this discovery is. The best news is that grounding is FREE, it is simply a skill to master.

We all know when we are very busy and hundreds of tasks are flying around in and above our heads this is ungrounded and leads to more confusion. The tricks is to develop choice. I teach those with all sorts of learning difficulties and health issues about getting grounded every day, and watch amazing differences. If you want more information, take a look at “Bridges to Success – how to transform learning difficulties”, it has 3 sections on grounding, or just e-mail be to arrange a call or skype: I should be pleased to give you simple advice on how to create a grounded state, instantly.

We are currently researching WHY so many of our children are ungrounded from a very young age, and if you would like to contribute to this through a interview I should be most grateful. E-mail me olive@empoweringlearning.co.uk

Healthy Ageing

Diana Kingham (www.optimiseyourlife.co.uk) and Olive Hickmott (www.empoweringhealth.co.uk) are doing a joint presentation on Wednesday 1st February in Harpenden. Diana is talking about reversing the ageing process and Olive is providing tips for carers of those with Dementia or Alzheimer’s, that will have a positive effect on everyone’s quality of life. Contact olive@empoweringhealth.co.uk for details.  You can also join their work into these topics.

Diana and Olive are both Directors of the International Association doe Health and Learning

Attention North London: find out just how easy literacy can be with a new skill

“Mum, why didn’t someone tell me that the smart kids at school could ‘see’ words and that they didn’t move?”

“Darling, I am so sorry, neither the teachers nor I realised that you didn’t ‘see’ words.  Children never get asked this basic question.  Nobody taught me and I have been able to do this without effort since I was really small.  I must have just picked it up naturally; I just assumed everyone did this. I have asked your dad and he didn’t get it either, so you can help each other with this new skill”

“And you have such great visual skills, I realised you can even rotate pictures in your imagination and that is a fabulous talent that is such a blessing for you.  It wasn’t until I listened to an introduction from Empowering Learning, that I realised that you were rotating words and that just confused you and everyone who finds spelling and reading easy can ‘see’ words.”

Come to a Family Breakthrough Workshop at Hargrave Hall, Archway, N19, on 11th February between 10am and 4pm and learn just how easy it can be.  The workshop helps families with dyslexic symptoms overcome problems with spelling, reading, comprehension and memory via a fun and easy-to-learn technique based on the principles of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Gill Woon is running the event and you will even meet Olive Hickmott, the creator of this strategy.

A workbook and CD is included in the price of £120 for the whole family, plus a child’s teacher.  Great value.

Come with your whole family and even a learning assistant and learn together skills you never thought you could master.  Fast, fun and effective

To find out more go to dyslexia-coaching

The benefits of dyslexia

I belive that dyslexia is a combination of exceptional skills and often debilitating symptoms.  The good news is that you can learn skills to overcome the symptoms and enjoy the skills.  I have posted here a list of some of the exceptional skills, this may not be an exhaustive list.  Please post comments from your experience.benefits of dyslexia