Recognizing an invisible disability - Henry Winkler style

Getting back at it

Phew!! After a busy summer and a September of new beginnings for our staff and students, it seems like the perfect time to start blogging again.

It's hard to believe we'll be flipping the calendar page to October tomorrow. It's a month to stop and think about what living with a learning disability is like. October is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month around the world, and we're planning to pay tribute to all who live with an LD right here in this blog. Share your story with me at rhonda.brown@bridgeway-academy.com and I'll post it. I want to know about your triumphs and your struggles. Together, we can raise awareness and extend compassion and maybe, just maybe, help a few more people understand that not everyone learns the same way.


Thank you Henry Winkler

I just finished the very first book in the Hank Zipzer series, "Niagara Falls, Or Does It?" If you have a young person with LDs in your life, I would encourage you to introduce them to these books. They're a funny, honest look at what young Hank Zipzer, Grade 4 student, deals with day-in and day-out at his school.

Henry Winkler co-authors the books with Lin Oliver, and they are loosely based on Henry's growing up years. You see, Henry Winkler has dyslexia, and school was often a struggle. Here's a little snippit from a Q&A on the website in which Henry on what it was like living with an LD:


What was it like growing up with Dyslexia?
When I was growing up in New York City, no one knew what dyslexia was. I was called stupid and lazy, and I was told that I was not living up to my potential. It was, without a doubt, painful. I spent most of my time covering up the fact that reading, writing, spelling, math, science—actually, every subject but lunch—was really, really difficult for me. If I went to the store and paid the bill with paper money and I was given coins back for change, I had no idea how to count up the change in my head. I just trusted that everyone was being honest.


Unfortunately, not enough has changed over the last several years, and kids are still struggling without the resources they need. Learn more about LDs, and do what you can this month to help us raise awareness!

Rhonda

Socially speaking...

It can be heartbreaking to watch a child struggle to make friends. They might not know what to say or how to start a conversation. Sometimes, that initial contact is made, only to be lost when the child acts a certain way or says things that might not be considered "appropriate". What we might not realize is that social graces don't come naturally to every child. When a child has a learning disability, they may need to learn those important social skills.

Thanks to Nicole Lawrence, Public Relations student with Mount Saint Vincent University and summer student at Bridgeway for putting together this article.

Rhonda


Learning to make friends: Social skills training can make the difference

By Nicole Lawrence

Social skills are essential to living a satisfying and fulfilling life. Whether at home, school or in the workplace, social skills are the tools that allow us to communicate, relate and socialize with others. Understanding social cues, interacting with others and even respecting someone’s personal space may seem like common knowledge but they don’t come naturally to everyone.

Children with hyperactivity and learning disabilities are less likely to learn and develop proper social skills. Without these skills, they may have trouble understanding facial expressions or how their body language is interpreted. They may also act impulsively; disregarding rules, the feelings of others or the consequences of their actions. Parents and peers may see this as inappropriate behaviour, when the problem really lies with their lack of social skills.

Bridgeway Academy is a school for students with learning disabilities. They teach social skills in the classroom and offer similar social skills programs to the community at large. The primary focus is to help children develop the skills necessary for initiating, building and maintaining friendships and understanding appropriate behaviour.

Just like the skills used to teach math and reading, social skills can be broken down, taught and practiced. Instead of scolding a child’s mistake, positive reinforcement is used until these skills become routine.

“School can be a huge challenge for students with social deficits” says Angela Rudderham, Director of Behavioural and Social Skills at Bridgeway Academy. “Children enrolled in our program often have trouble making friends and following the rules both in class and at home. These everyday obstacles can make it hard for students to concentrate on academics.”

Eight-year-old Arec Aubrecht is a recent graduate of Bridgeway’s social skills program. His grandmother Francine Aubrecht recalls the remarkable difference in Arec, who has Tourette’s Syndrome. “He used to have a real problem with social cues and understanding things like when to stop talking or when he was annoying other kids,” says Aubrecht. She says her grandson also had difficulties making friends. “He had trouble understanding when the kids were playing games – he often mistook playfulness as hostility and would get angry as a result.”

The social skills program first identifies those skills that need improvement then gives parents and children the proper tools to learn and practice them.

“After he finished the program we noticed a big change in Arec” says Aubrecht. “He used to be quite impulsive and now he thinks a bit more before he acts.”

The program’s director Angela Rudderham knows the change students can undergo. “They come to us with social phobias and problems expressing themselves – many leave with the confidence and ability to make friends and interact with others.”

According to his grandmother, Arec loved Bridgeway’s workshop enough to enrol again this summer. By incorporating fun into the curriculum, Bridgeway Academy has a program suited for students of all ages and learning disabilities.

This July and August, Bridgeway Academy is offering the social skills program at both their Darmouth and Truro locations. For more information about this program and other workshops contact Bridgeway Academy at 902-465-4800 or www.bridgeway-academy.com

Graduation 2010

Graduation ceremonies are so inspiring. There's nothing like watching a group of young people take that next big step into the future. Friday's graduation at Bridgeway was my first since joining the staff, and the emotion in the room was quite apparent. For many of our families, seeing their students in cap and gown was a moment they thought they might never experience. The pride shone through the tears. Thank you graduates and families, for letting me share that experience. And thank you James Huggard for giving me permission to share an excerpt from your valedictory speech. Enjoy!

Rhonda

Valedictorian Speech
James Huggard
June 25, 2010

Welcome everyone to the 2010 Bridgeway Academy graduation ceremony.

My name is James Huggard and I am speaking to you today because my classmates have given me the honour of speaking on their behalf as this year’s Valedictorian.

I came to Bridgeway in January 2007. In my former schools I had trouble with schoolwork, I had a hard time making friends and school was JUST not fun. I seriously just did not want to go to school anymore. I had lost my desire to try. When my parents found Bridgeway and suggested it to me, I wanted to come here.

Since I’ve been here, I have learned many things – not just how to LEARN, but how to function and survive. Organization is a big problem for me and after 4 years with my Bridgeway Agenda, school life is much easier. Let’s not forget the colour coding which worked so well that it actually applies to my real life, such as all my candy piles and laundry hampers, (which I still don’t use).

Friendships as well have become easier to make and maintain since I learned better social skills and I found a new RESPECT for others and myself.

Here, I found teachers who truly CARED about every student and made us feel special.

And finally by being here, I discovered I wasn’t the only person in the world having trouble with school and this place made me realize I COULD learn and I COULD make friends and I COULD have a future.

Speaking of that future, I am pleased to say that I have been accepted into St Mary’s University in the fall where I will be studying for my Bachelor of Arts degree. I will be taking History, English and Sociology courses and may eventually take my Education Degree. Imagine – maybe some day I will come back and become a teacher at Bridgeway Academy!

I would like to take this opportunity to quickly thank a few people who - without their support none of us would be here.

I would like to thank Mrs Low for starting Bridgeway Academy many years ago. Because of this school, we all have a chance for a great future.

I want to say thank-you to all the teachers we have had over the past number of years - for their dedication to all of us, for believing in us and teaching us to believe in ourselves. You are all very special people and we know you are proud of us today.

To Ms Fielder – thank you for being a mentor to me. Your support over the years has meant a lot to me and to my family.

Ms Fielder wrote a poem in 2007 describing what it meant to be a teacher at Bridgeway Academy. It is called “TODAY”.
It begins and ends with the sentence “Today I was a teacher” and THAT says it all!

Last but not least I want to say a big THANK YOU to our families for giving us the opportunity to attend the best little school in the world!

In closing I want to share with you an old saying which I’m sure everyone knows which is, “TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE”.

Today is our graduation day, which is our last day of high school and indeed the first day of the rest of our lives.

Congratulations and GOOD LUCK to all my fellow students on this special day.

And remember,“Don’t stop believing!”

Happy Endings,New Beginnings: James' story

It's graduation week this week at Bridgeway, and we'll be sending nine Grade 12 students off with diplomas in hand, ready to face the future. Our grads have plans to attend college or university, to work or to travel. But I think the most important thing they'll leave with is confidence. They know what their learning disabilities are, and how they need to learn. They know how to be advocates for themselves, and with that, they know they can do anything. Amazing really, when you consider there was probably a time they weren't so sure.

I think James' story is a perfect illustration of how teaching to a child with learning disabilities in the way they learn can turn a life around. Thank you to mom Heather for writing this for us.

Rhonda


James' Story

Our son James started school at age 5 like most kids. By the beginning of the next school year, the school asked to put him back in Grade Primary, suggesting he might be developmentally delayed and need another year to mature.

By the end of Grade 1 - after 3 years of school - he could barely read a simple book with a few words on a page. When I brought this to the school's attention I was told children all learn at different speeds. In Grade 2 his teacher agreed with me that he might have ADHD after watching him fidget all day in class and become increasingly frustrated with school.

He was assessed by the school's psychologist late that school year who advised he was behind grade level (don't forget he was already behind one school year) and suggested certain plans for Grade 3 which never materialized. We found a local tutor who tried to teach him to read by teaching him the phonetics or sound each letter makes. That helped a bit, but not like it should have.

Homework was an exercise in frustration; many days it was just not worth the fight and was not completed.

His Grade 4 teacher was a saint and worked with him as best she could, but by mid-Grade 6 he was so frustrated, humiliated and bullied that we took him out of school fearing a mental break down. Eventually, we found another public school nearby where he completed Grade 6 with teachers and students who did not know him and all seemed to have improved.

Junior High was another nightmare for James. We paid for an independent psycho-educational assessment, which to no-one's surprise James was diagnosed with severe learning disabilities in written language and mathematics. Public school teachers with classes of 30+ students do not have the time to work with kids with SLDs, so he was assigned to the Resource department which had one part-time person for the whole school. When the principal that year applied for SLD tutoring assistance for him for Grade 8, he was turned down - "too many applicants" they said.

I had been in contact with Lucinda Low of Bridgeway Academy during his Grade 7 year and attempted to communicate with the Department of Education to see if this school was a possibility for James. Luckily for James, after we spent the fall of Grade 8 trying to get approved for Tuition Support funding for Bridgeway Academy, we received a call in early January that he was approved and off he went to Bridgeway Academy. Well, the rest is history.

James completed Grade 8 that year and then begged the school to put him up to his "Grade level" which they did with all his marks in the 80s and 90s. I am proud to say he is graduating this year from Grade 12 with an average of 84%, and has already been accepted into St Mary's University with an offer of an entrance scholarship.

What a relief it is to parents to know there is a place where their child can have success. "Teaching children the way they learn" - a novel idea, and it works!

Heather

Scott's story

On May 20, we held our ninth annual Silver Lining Soiree. This is a fundraising event in support of our school and our programs. The importance of what we do for kids with learning disabilities was really brought forward by the two Bridgeway alumni who spoke - Scott Craig and Ellen Benoit-Colling. Below you'll find the text of Scott's speech. I'll share Ellen's remarks in a few days.

I would first like to thank everyone for coming to Bridgeway’s Silver Lining Soiree. About 20 years ago, I was a student at Bridgeway. When I was attending Bridgeway, there were only three other students and it was in the basement of a church. It was here that I found a place that the teachers would listen and would answer my questions. Years before this, I attended several different schools both in the public and private systems in Ontario and Nova Scotia. What I remember from these schools is that I would sit with my hand up and no one would answer. I remember coming home from school and telling my mom that I wasn’t going back. From that point on, my mom became my biggest advocate. She searched out schools all over the province and once she found Bridgeway she knew it was for me.

When I came to Bridge way in the 1980’s, I met Cindy Low. She was one of the first people I met at a school who understood me and how I learned best. Ms. Low helped to develop a school that not only encourages children to be self-advocates, but also to develop learning strategies to be able to thrive within any occupation that the student may choose later in life.

For me, the greatest thing that Bridgeway gave me was organizational skills. I was also taught to be a self-advocate so that I had the ability to know my strengths and ask for help with my limitations. Even today when ever I have a university paper, I complete it a few days before it is due so my wife, Emily, can proof read it. I also want to say “Thank you” to Microsoft for installing spell check and grammar check. I owe you one.

Today I stand in front of you within my undergraduate degree from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Science, my Education degree, my Masters in Education with a specialization in curriculum development, and I am currently enrolled in my 2nd masters specializing in sport education. I have been a teacher for the Halifax Regional School Board for the past nine years and currently I teach grade seven in Sackville with the subject areas of math, science and health.

Each September when I meet my new students at the beginning of the year, I share with them that I have a learning disability. I tell them that school was hard for me and that when I was their age, the last thing I expected to become was a teacher. Bridgeway helped me recognize myself as a learner and it has helped me to show many of my students that with the right strategies, all students can learn.

Before, Now and After

Our Principal, Lynne Fielder, shared this wonderful poem with me today, written by one of our students, Sarah. Sarah has given me permission to share it here. Enjoy!

Rhonda


Before, Now and After

Thinking you're different is a terrible thought,
We have all been there.
You feel frustrated, stupid and even scared,
You were made fun of and called names.
Just because you're different,
You felt like you didn't fit in.
But then when you were all alone,
You found a family.

This family made you feel confident,
And even taught you to read, write and even spell.
You feel like you're not the only one anymore,
You don't feel that different or insecure.
No, you feel successful and confident,
Talented and maybe even smart.

Now you can move on with your life
And act like you're the same as everyone else.
No one would know you're that much different than them.
But it's nice to know you are,
Because being different makes you your own person.

Welcome!

Welcome to Bridgeway Academy's blog. This is a place for anyone interested in learning disabilities and education. We'll focus on the ways we can teach a child with learning disabilities so that they can learn. You'll hear from many voices here, and we would welcome your thoughts, your ideas and your solutions to making the learning journey easier for students with LDs.

We're really lucky to have to have our own "in house" expertise, and you'll hear from them here. Lucinda Low, our Founder and Executive Director, has 27 years of experience running this school and working with students with learning disabilities. I don't think I've ever met someone with so much passion for what she does.

Angela Rudderham is our Director of Behaviour and Social Skills. She has been with us since 2007, and has a wonderful way of helping our kids sort out how their behaviour decisions are related to their learning disabilities, and how to change their behaviour in the future.

Lisa Saunders is our Director of Programs, and her deep understanding of how our students learn allows us to individualize programs to help them reach their full potential.

And Lynne Fielder is the Principal at our Dartmouth location. She has a passion for education and the strategies that educators can use in the classroom to help all students with LDs.

And I'm Rhonda Brown. I'm responsible for marketing and communications at Bridgeway, but I'm also the parent of three child, one who has been diagnosed with ADHD. On this blog, you can think of me as the conversation starter. I'll be posting writings from our experts and others, to enlighten and inform. Share your thoughts, and send along your ideas and questions to me anytime at rhonda.brown@bridgeway-academy.com.

Let the learning begin!