Davis Dyslexia Correction® Program

Assesment

The initial assessment at DFW Dyslexia has two primary purposes. The first purpose administers the Perceptual Ability Assessment which determines if a potential client prefers thinking with nonverbal conceptualization (pictures) rather than verbal conceptualization (words). If a person is primarily a "picture" thinker and has the ability to intentionally view mental images three-dimensionally, they can experience mild to severe disorientations and perceptual distortions in vision, hearing, balance and time sense. These disorientations and perceptual distortions can cause difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, math, coordination, spatial orientation, speech, hearing, motion and or attention focus. If this natural thought process is creating a barrier to learning, this ability can be brought under conscious control and "turned off" when it acts as an obstacle to learning or performance.

The second purpose is to administer standardized tests to confirm a potential client's academic levels in reading, writing, and/or math. These assessments, coupled with an intake questionnaire, pinpoint strengths as well as weaknesses and become the basis of measuring academic and personal gains resulting from the Program. All results are thoroughly reviewed with the adult client or with the parents of a younger client.

The initial assessment takes approximately 3-4 hours. Half of that time is spent in assessment and the other half in consultation. Specific and measurable client goals are established prior to beginning the Program.

Controling Mental Disorientations

This tool for correcting dyslexia enables a client to purposely control mental disorientations and perceptual distortions which cause learning barriers in reading, writing, spelling, or math. Being "oriented" makes it easier to focus attention on written material. When a client can control mental disorientations and perceptual distortions, then persistent mistakes can be identified and corrected. Continuously bringing nonverbal conceptualization under personal control can yield dramatic results right from the beginning of the Program. Clients recognize changes in reading, coordination, spatial awareness, speech, hearing, and the ability to attend almost immediately.

As needed, clients are introduced to a simple relaxation technique to eliminate headaches due to stress and concentration. An additional technique called "the dial", allows clients to monitor and control their energy level, and increases their ability to attend and focus.

This step takes place on the first morning of the Program.

Davis Symbol Mastery® Program

Davis Symbol Mastery® is a technique developed by Ron Davis to effectively identify and eliminate the confusions that "trigger" spontaneous mental disorientations and perceptual distortions. Clay is used as a tool in this technique because of the creative experience it allows the client.

Creativity is essential to true learning. Basic Symbol Mastery is used to master the upper and lower case alphabets and punctuation marks. This portion of the Program can take as little as a couple of hours or as much as a couple of days depending upon individual needs.

Word Symbol Mastery

Any person can become confused by vocabulary words they don't understand. For the "picture" thinker, this means any word that doesn't give them a picture. These "blank pictures" create confusion and can lead to lack of comprehension in listening and reading or problems in communicating through speech and written language. These "trigger" words are the small, common words found in language (over 200 in English); examples include: a, the, when, where, was, then . . . etc. The three parts of these words-their meaning, their sound, and their written form-are created in clay based on dictionary definitions.

This part of the program begins with a fun exercise called Create-a-Word. The client is encouraged to create a new invention, animal or idea emphasizing that words are symbols consisting of three parts: what it means, how it sounds, how it is written. Creativity in meaning, pronunciation, and spelling is encouraged.

During the Program week, several of the small trigger words common to most dyslexic learners are mastered. This activity lays the skill basis for the home-study portion of the program. Completion of these words ensures long-term dyslexia correction and increases the client's ability to comprehend written and spoken language.

Reading Exercises

During the Davis Dyslexia Correction® Program, three unique and specific reading exercises are learned and practiced. First, these exercises train in left to right eye movement thus remediating many tracking problems encountered by dyslexic readers. Second, they facilitate word recognition and introduction of new vocabulary. Finally, they develop reading comprehension using the dyslexic learner's natural "picture" thinking ability. It is not unusual for clients to make substantial and measurable gains in decoding skills and reading comprehension during the 30-hour Program.

Coordination Training

Balance exercises help resolve many physical coordination problems and left-right confusion caused by disorientation. Koosh balls are used in a fun technique to reinforce a client's ability to control orientation at will. Most clients report feeling calmer. Some catch a ball for the very first time! And while balancing on one foot!

Parent/Helper Support

Following the 30-hour Program, clients are strongly urged to use the Davis Symbol Mastery® Procedure to master all the common trigger words. Completion of these trigger words ensures dyslexia correction. This is completed in short, regular sessions over several months. It is completed at home with a parent, tutor, or friend. During the Parent/ Helper Support Training, the designated person is taught the Davis Symbol Mastery® Procedure for words and instructed on how to act as a coach after the Program.