Axel Gudmundsson, director of Gifted Dyslexic, is giving a public talk about The Gift of Dyslexia. The book, The Gift of Dyslexia is an international best seller by American dyslexic and entrepreneur Ronald D. Davis, first published in 1994. This book gives a completely new insight into why so many exceptional people have struggled with aspects of school – and how their reading problems can easily be solved in only five days.

Date: May 22nd, at 7:00-8:30pm.

Venue: Kommetjie Primary School, Teubes Road, Kommetjie.

Audience: Educators, therapists and parents - the talk is open to anyone.

Duration: One and a half hour

Cost: Free

Axel will outline how and why learning difficulties develop, and how teachers can actually prevent the onset of dyslexia by slightly changing how reading is taught in the foundation phase of primary school, grades 0-3. He will also explain how learning difficulties can be addressed in only five days using the Davis methods, producing results, which are hard to believe.

Axel is currently negotiating with Davis Dyslexia Association International to offer the full Davis training here in South Africa later this year.

Of all South Africans, one in ten is probably dyslexic. This is assuming that South Africa has the same percentage of dyslexics as most developed countries (around 10% of the population). If this estimate is accurate, it means that at least five million South Africans are struggling with literacy problems in school or in the workplace. General awareness is some way behind what we find in Europe, Australia, and North America, and schools in this country tend to be ill equipped to deal with dyslexia.

Studies in the UK and USA have shown that amongst entrepreneurs and self-made millionaires, one in three is dyslexic (over 30%), compared to one in ten amongst the general public. These studies have also shown that dyslexics are twice as likely to be owners of one or more businesses, despite struggling at school.

Intervention and training offered by Gifted Dyslexic in South Africa:

Do-It-Yourself intervention:

- Doing an on-line assessment

- DIY using the book and some clay

- DIY using a Davis home-use kit

Professional intervention:

- A professional GD assessment (2-3 hrs)

- Literacy Made Easy (dyslexia) 5 days

- Maths Made Easy (dyscalculia) 8 days

- Attention Made Easy (ADD and AD/HD) 8 days

- Co-ordination Made Easy (dyspraxia) 5 days

- Early Learning Made Easy (prevention) 10 half days

- Handwriting Made Easy (dysgraphia, dyspraxia) 5 days

Training workshops:

- Teaching Made Easy (2 days) - Training for teachers in teaching reading

- The Gift of Dyslexia workshop (4 days) - Training for teachers, parents and therapists

For more information, go to www.GiftedDyslexic.com, or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gifted-Dyslexic/110254925712738