ImMeeMee:

But I couldnt help spending a somber moment thinking silently that she doesnt understand the true meaning of frustration until she gets to teach a special needs child.

I feel the same way when some mothers go on extolling how clever and how well behaved their children are BECAUSE of their way of bringing up kids or BECAUSE of their special methods of teaching (DISCLAIMER - I am NOT talking about anyone here in particular.) You can flash a thousand flashcards at a child with vision issues and it won't work. You can choose your school ever so carefully but there is only so much noise a child with sensitive hearing can take before exploding.

Some kids are \"easy\" and pliant and neurotypical. Others come out with iron will, SPD and all the Ds that just make them stick out...

Hi Gin,

The facilitators are expensive but will be worth every cent if it works. Do come back and share the results with the rest of us after your child has gone through with the programme. What I gather is that if this is the right approach for the child, you should be able to see good results in a very short time.

I am curious that your child has excellent spelling ability but poor comprehension ability. I thought it is usually the other way round. But then dyslexia has different presentations in different individuals.

Gin:

Hi,


Does anyone have comments about the Ron Davis Dyslexia Correction Method?

Thanks.

I borrowed his book from the library and found that his description of his dyslexic experience fitted my son very much. So I did some of the exercises with my son. I did not do the re-orientation with my son as he was too young then, but I was able to find a few trigger words and that was helpful because they are high frequency words. I have since also found some of his trigger words in Chinese. I also encourged him to do activities that required bilateral coordination even if the start was very difficult.

My son also has vision issues - irlen and vision processing issues. We have addressed all these three areas over the past three years. He reads well now, but his spelling is still quite bad for his reading level. However the time he takes to learn spelling has shorten greatly over the last two years, for both English and Chinese, and his retention is much better now. Occasionally i have to go back to \"old\" words that he might have recorded wrongly in his memory bank when his vision problems were not yet discovered and reversals were very rampant, and relearn them with him so that he keeps the \"correct copy\".

There are many methods and ideas out there for children struggling to read. Keep looking and trying and you will likely find something that can help. Be consistent, and give it some time.

It's not that hard to enroll in a kindergarten if you are not set on the really popular ones, and are willing to take an afternoon slot. It's childcare centers that are harder to find, and also centers/kindergartens that offer a flexi-scheme - ie 1/2/3/5 day a week programme.


The best thing you can do now is to determine where you will be staying so that you can start researching into the schools in the area. Unless it's the other way round for you.

How many times have you seen this doctor in the past year? You definitely have to do something about it, including seek second opinion, but I too would be wary about surgery at such a young age.


My cousin’s son had squint eye too, and as it was more obvious as he got older. My cousin waited before doing the surgery, and he is perfectly okay now. He wears glasses for shortsightedness.

Another friend’s daughter had lazy eye and was supposed to do patching. Same thing, doctor said could go blind in one eye if she does not do patching seriously. She was about seven then. So far no surgery. She’s nine now.

I do not know how severe your child’s squint is, but I would definitely go for a second opinion. You can ask to see another opthamologist within KKH Eye Center itself, and also ask about the orthopist’s service. Orthopists work with eye muscles through eye exercises and various optical devices. The thing is she is rather young, so it may be hard to get her to follow the orthopist instructions. You can also go to the Singapore Eye Center.

My son has compromised 3 d perception as part of his Irlen Syndrome and he did have some spectacular falls. You DO have to be very careful when crossing the roads or in car parks. There were times when he was directly in the path of cars and he was so sure they are not heading for him. He had also fallen down entire flight of stairs before. For him, gym helped a lot to increase spatial awareness and in teaching him how to fall more safely.

Do note that because her vision is compromised, she may rely more on sounds to help her understand her surroundings. She may become more sensitized to sounds, and to the different tone of your voices, rather than reading facial cues. When her vision improves in future through whichever means you may choose to take, you may want to spend some time helping her to recognize facial cues and reading expressions.

friendship:

Getting divorce very easy mah?


heard that so many paper works, going here and there to meet the lawyer, being interrogated as if like a criminal. Looks like the children will suffer.

Divorce is not easy. It affects people's life beyond the two adults. So let's salute all those who left bad marriages in order to protect their children from physical, emotional abuse, or financial ruin.

Divorce should not be the easy way out. But it is sanctioned because sometimes, marriage partners DO need a way out, sometimes children ARE better off without one irresponsible parent. Children need good ROLE MODELS from both sexes, unfortunately not all adults are good role models.

One of my son's classmates' parents divorced last year. He said she used to cry in class last year. This year she is more cheerful and both parents have remarried. She is glad that her parents don't quarrel all the time anymore.

For those who stay together \"for the children\", make sure it is really good for the children. Do not turn around on difficult days and say to them \"I did all this for you, I suffered for you\", because this is unfair emotional blackmail. If it's \"for the children\", clarify that your spouse is indeed a good parent and then work on strengthening the relationship because you want to go on being a family.

Be an adult, have a frank discussion, and lay down the cards. If it is so important, there is no need to sweep it under the carpet or act secretively. We are adults, act like adults.


As one of my gfs who divorced said to her ex - "if you have a problem with me, tell me in my face and let’s see what we can do. You don’t run off and do things behind my back." For the record, she is a beautiful bombshell cum career woman, but the husband couldn’t do it in bed. When she asked him to go for counselling together he refused because he has already taken up with a younger girl with the help of viagra.

Don’t take on a victim or matyr complex. Nobody appreciates it and nobody benefits from it. Frank discussion is better than deception. With frankness you can clarify your priorities and move forward, be it divorce, open marriage, counselling or making more efforts.

If you are afraid to bring things out to the open, remember that through deception, you are already setting a time-bomb on your relationship anyway.

:lol:


Wah I like the different categories, especially the sincere slacker! I knew a Creative Charmer who was also a Scattered Charmer - really hopeless with the day to day. Fortunately his gf/wife is the super organized type and organized everything for him and friends reminded him of datelines and if there were exams the NEXT day and what the subjects being tested were. So failing all else, there is still hope that their future partner can take up the slack in this department.

He groomed the girl over a period of time and preyed on her in a public place. This is pretty extreme. This is preplanning, and very predatory. He needs to be watched very closely and kept away from children. Thank goodness he was caught before he started teaching.

<blockquote style="border:1px solid black;"> I would guess at their age playing would seem so much more interesting and of greater value to them. What do parents think? Are your kids very eager to know more about how the world works?


Oh yes, very eager to know about how the world works. But school doesn’t really teach about the world mah.

I think the two kindys a day is horrible. I don’t think it is for the child’s benefit, but for the benefit of the caregiver. I met a mum who did that when my son just entered nursery - she will drop her younger child at her mum’s place, take the older one to kindy 1 and then either go shopping or read her book. After that, they have a quick lunch and proceed to kindy 2 and do the same.