Davis Dyslexia Correction
The program typically includes 30 hours of one-on-one work over a 5-day period. Before starting the program, the Davis provider performs a Perceptual Ability Assessment, an exercise that helps determine whether the student has innate visual conceptualization skills often tied to dyslexia.
The two major components of the Davis Dyslexia Correction program are Orientation Counseling and Symbol Mastery.
Davis Orientation Counseling® teaches dyslexic students how to recognize and control the mental state that leads to distorted and confused perceptions of letters, words and numerals. Through a simple mental technique, the students learn to turn off the thought processes that cause misperceptions. Instead, they are able to restore their minds to a relaxed and focused state, suitable for reading and other studies. Once Orientation is learned, the student is ready to build the conceptual skills that will allow them to overcome problems stemming from dyslexia.
Davis Symbol Mastery® gives dyslexic students the ability to think with symbols and words, so they can learn to read easily and with full comprehension. Using clay, students first work with the alphabet, numerals, and punctuation marks, to make sure that they have an accurate perception and understanding of these symbols. Students then use clay to model the trigger words–the short abstract words, frequently encountered in reading, such as and, the, to, or it. These words cause problems when dyslexic students cannot form a mental picture to go along with them. Through Symbol Mastery, the student makes a three-dimensional clay model of the meaning of each word, together with a model of the letters of the words. With this approach, learning is permanent.
When working with children and teenagers, the Davis provider also provides support training to parents, so that they can continue to work with the child at home. At the end of the basic program, students have a full understanding of all the Davis methods, and know how to continue to use these methods on their own. On completion, students are given a kit containing all materials needed to continue to practice Davis techniques and to continue with clay modeling until they have mastered all the common trigger words.
For a sense of program benefits, watch these videos from GiftedDyslexic (South Africa):
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Is this program only offered in Canada?
The Davis Dyslexia Correction program is offered all over the world. There are facilitators on every continent except for Antartica. You can find complete international listings here: https://www.davismethod.org/
My 8.5 year old son has (pending official diagnosis) Auditory processing disorder. (Also possible ADHD and a few sensory things going on). Would the Davis program be appropriate for him?
Yes — APD is often just a different manifestation of symptoms which stem from the same underlying issues. A Davis program can address those issues. The combination of the APD with possible ADHD and sensory issues does suggest that disorientation may be a significant factor. So it would definitely be worthwhile for you to arrange an assessment with a Davis provider to discuss the range of symptoms and difficulties in the context of a possible program.
Can this program be taken online? I have a granddaughter that lives in a rural town with no access to help for her dyslexia.
Janie, a full Davis program depends on one-on-one work with a qualified facilitator who can observe the person while working with them. Because of the hands-on, participatory nature of the program it would not be possible to get the same results with an online program. However, the key techniques are described in detail in the book, The Gift of Dyslexia and we also sell home kits at https://shop.dyslexia.com/kits – so it is possible to get started with the Davis approach even if it is not feasible to travel to work with a Davis Facilitator. I’d add that many facilitators are able to travel to work with their clients — so it’s probably worth at least a phone call to the nearest facilitator to explore options.
Hello, we are very keen for my 9yo daughter and possibly my 12yo son to participate in both the maths mastery and the dyslexia correction program. We are based in West London and keen to understand where we can access the program. Both children are due for an assessment for ADHD but am very cautious with this approach as the attention deficit I believe is a symptom of their dyslexia. Any advice to enrol on both programs will be greatful.
Tikki, the first step to arrange a Davis program is to set up an appointment for consultation and screening directly with a Facilitator. You can find worldwide listings for facilitators with this link: https://www.davismethod.org/
Can this program also help with Dyscalculia?
Yes, it can — but there is also a separate program specifically geared to math, which you can read about here: https://www.dyslexia.com/davis-difference/davis-programs/davis-math-mastery/
A consultation with a Davis Facilitator can help determine whether it is best to start with the Dyslexia Correction program, or to do the Davis Math Mastery program only. It would depend on specific areas of difficulty.