sparkmygenius.com

• 20Jun

  How to Make Tough Choices

  ADHD, ADD, aspergers, cognitive decline, learning disability, mTBI, memory, parenting, social skills No Comments

  One simple way we can sort out what choice is best is to create a plus and minus column.

  Put in the advantages and disadvantages of your proposed choice. Number each choice on an “important to me” scale of one to ten. Add up both columns or get a friend to help.

  Many genius minds got their inspiration after napping or a good night’s sleep.

  Still undecided? Separate your thoughts into three sections I feel this way, I think this about this and I sense or remember this could happen. The first method gives you the “what” of the story while the second method gives you the “why.”
  Now you need the “when.” This you can get by asking your self “Why is this a good time for this choice?” What can I gain by waiting, deciding immediately or not choosing at all”? For the where of this story consider if this is the best place or would a change of location make a difference. Also ask your self is there any knowledge missing I need to make this choice.

  Sleep on your decisions and listen to the voice on the inside. Often you will sense a green light, a red light or a yellow proceed with caution.

  Our minds have amassed countless categories and can assess in a moment of time what you could take months to think about actively. Many genius minds got their inspiration after napping or a good night’s sleep. It can work for you too!

  Mathematicians have determined we can make informed choices by following what are called axioms. They use numbers to explain things but we will use life examples to share these ideas.

  There are 5 principles or axioms for making decisions.

  1. Comparability
  2. Transitivity
  3. Dominance
  4. Independence
  5. Invariance

  The first principle is called “comparability.” For this you need to know you prefer apples to bananas or banana to apples or that you dislike or like both bananas and apples.

  Axiom two is called “transitivity,” which means if you prefer apples to bananas and bananas to carrots you must prefer apples to carrots.

  “Dominance” is axiom three. Here is how it works, a choice is dominant and must be preferred if when it is compared to an alternate choice it is best in at least one respect and better in all other respects. Dominated or lesser choices are not to be preferred.

  Axiom four is called “independence.” This says “no outside data should affect your choice.”

  The last axiom, number five, is “invariance.” Different scenery involving the same choice scenario should not affect the choice. Another way of saying this is your choice preference should remain independent of how it is described.

  When any of these axioms are not met there are several possibilities. The choice was not yours to make. In this case move on. You can not take responsibility for other peoples’ choices.

  Zig Ziglar says ‘Life is like the movies …You produce your own show!”

  Happy people live nineteen percent longer. Make a good investment. You can invest in worry or you can invest in you.

  There was not enough information available to make an informed choice or you were not given the power to make the choice. Life happens and life cycles, what goes around comes around. Think out a strategy for next time or watch for something effective another individual is using to negotiate the issue.

  You are a champion. Experience and coaching will help you win. Experts practice and watch for doors of opportunity. Novices give up because they see an event as defining them.

  Failure is an event and not an identity.

  Any novice can become an expert. Failure is an event and not an identity. Failure looks for servants, refuse to serve it!

  Your choice was clouded by a cultural mindset or political manipulation and does not represent you.

  For this scenario you will feel dissatisfied even when the choice is beneficial to you because you can not own it without changing your identity.

  • Think about how you can change your world one step at a time.
  • The way you see yourself is the way others will treat you.
  • Change your words and determine your destiny.
  • Your words will build you or destructure (destroy) you.
  • Go back to the chapter that suggests you decide what you would do if only you could. Find a way to take one step towards your destiny and do it!

  –Dr. Amy Price

• 15Jun

  How to Boost Your Child’s Self-Esteem

  ADHD, ADD, Sparks of Genius, aspergers, auditory, cognitive decline, homework, music, school, teacher No Comments

  Self-Esteem is always a hot topic: what does it really do for people? How is it developed? Is it good to have a lot, or can you have too much? What effect does self-esteem have on school performance? It isn’t always easy to spot. Why?

  “A given person with high implicit [or inner] self-esteem may be outwardly self-promoting or may be outwardly very modest,” said study team member Anthony Greenwald, a psychologist at the University of Washington.

  Full Article Here

  Low Self-Esteem is often confused with learned helplessness. Learned helplessness develops when a child is in school and has difficulty with, say, math. He struggles in math, possibly due to a weak teacher or just doesn’t have the same internal aptitude that others do. Maybe he was sick for a key week at school. For whatever reason, the child does poorly. Spurred on, the child decides to try his best for the next exam. Math being recursive, his lack of understanding of the prior material keeps him from really understanding the new stuff, and he gets a bad grade again even though he tried his hardest.

  The child concludes, “I’m bad at math.” That is learned helplessness.

  Contrast that experience with low self-esteem. A child goes to school and, despite good grades and many friends, feels like he or she isn’t any good in general.

  Both conditions can lead to lack of effort in school and reduced performance, but one is based on a faulty conclusion drawn from real evidence while the other is a conclusion drawn despite external evidence (or due to internal evidence only).

  The outward symptoms may look and sound the same, and the two issues are very similar, but they require a different touch to handle effectively.

  This is where Sparks of Genius shines. What we do in our Electronic Playground is help children uncover hidden strengths, then we leverage those strengths to make improvements in other areas. How do we create total transformation? Through the 9-5-4 Program.

  Even though there are 9 Intelligences, schools only care about one or two; Sparks of Genius taps into all 9.

  • Verbal intelligence
  • Mathematical intelligence
  • Spatial intelligence
  • Musical intelligence
  • Kinesthetic intelligence
  • Interpersonal intelligence
  • Intrapersonal intelligence
  • Spiritual intelligence
  • Naturalist intelligence

  Increase three or more [Cognitive Skills] and you’ve got a Total Transformation.

  There are 5 Cognitive Skills. Increase one of these, and you increase cognitive ability. Increase three or more and you’ve got a Total Transformation.

  • Attention
  • Memory
  • Learning
  • Thinking
  • Processing Speed

  Finally, there are 4 Executive Functions. These are higher-order functions and essential for long-term success.

  • Organization
  • Planning
  • Prioritizing
  • Decision-Making

  Students come to us, go through fancy, high-tech evaluations, and Dr. Kessler puts together a customized work-out regimen that plays on the student’s strengths and pumps up the areas that are weakest. 2-3 hours per week on a home computer, plus an hour in our high-tech, high-touch playground is usually all it takes. The results last, and they generalize to school, athletics, home, and the social realm.

  Good luck!

  Allen Dobkin

• 11Jun

  Video Games as Alternative Therapy

  ADHD, ADD, Sparks of Genius, aspergers, cognitive decline, learning disability, mTBI, memory, parenting 2 Comments

  A new video game might prove to be a very productive use of time for young cancer patients: It helps kids fight their diseases figuratively and literally.The game, called “Re-mission,” is a 20-level journey through the bodies of fictional patients suffering from different types of cancer, and of course, it can be played by adults and healthy folks as well. But the primary idea is to give patients a sense of control over their disease.

  Click here for article.

  Children and adults around the world have embraced video games, with both positive and negative results. Here’s another shot in the arm for the folks who see video games as more than just an excuse to stay inside on a sunny day. Sparks of Genius uses video games as alternative therapy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD or ADHD), Asperger’s Syndrome, Memory training, to fight off Cognitive Decline, and build any number of Cognitive Skills including executive function.

  Click here to check out their new Summer Brain Training Boot Camp!

  ---

  This article reprinted with permission from Rotten Apples: News from the front lines of America’s War on Education.

• 10Jun

  Tips on Parenting and Homework

  ADHD, ADD, anger, aspergers, homework, learning disability, parenting, school, teacher No Comments

  10 Steps to Argument-Free Homework

  Get homework done quickly and efficiently without wearing out your vocal cords.

  1. De-escalate.
  2. Use positive reinforcement.
  3. Express interest in homework, schoolwork and grades.
  4. Treat homework time like it is a big deal.
  5. Do your homework visibly.
  6. Spend 15 minutes negotiating Homework Expectations.
  7. Write down and post the Homework Expectations.
  8. Give your child three free passes.
  9. Reward a Perfect Homework Record.
  10. Email the teachers!

  What about kids with Learning Disabilities?

  Challenged Children, those with any kind of learning disability, need the exact same treatment. They need all the rules, reminders and rewards even more! Don’t let their disability fool you: expect them to perform to their 100% capacity. If we settle for less, we do them a disservice.

  -From www.whyschoolsux.com

  Read the article here.

• 06Jun

  Mental Obesity

  ADHD, ADD, art, aspergers, cognitive decline, learning disability, memory, parenting, school, social skills No Comments

  Think of your brain like your body.  What do you feed it each day?  A brain diet high in video games and low in cognitive demands will lead to mental obesity!

  The NY Times is reporting that new web sites aimed at children, especially girls, are on the rise. These sites allow kids to chat, Instant Message, Accessorize their cartoon avatars, dress up dolls and play video games.  Sounds like fun, so what’s the problem?

  The problem is that your brain is like a muscle–use it or lose it.  Spending an hour or two playing high stimulus, low cognition games (or watching equivalent TV programs, or reading equivalent comic books) is fine IF IT IS PART OF A WELL-BALANCED BRAIN DIET.

  What makes a well-balanced brain diet?

  Introducing the Brain-Food Pyramid:

  • 1-2 Hours of High-Stimulus, Low-Cognition activities: video games, TV, passive music, chatting with friends, internet surfing.
  • 1-2 Hours of  High-Cognition Activities: reading above grade level, write an essay, playing a musical instrument, peak-performance athletics, planning a big project.
  • 1-2 Hours of Physical Activity: walking, jogging, swimming, unstructured playing, sports, bicycling, etc.
  • 1-2 Hours of Socializing: hanging out with friends and family.
  • 7-10 hours of sleep!

  “Kids these days” are packing on 4-14 hours PER DAY of high stimulus activities that require next to zero thinking.  They’re ignoring the other aspects of life, sacrificing social skills and physical health (including sleep) in order to get their next “fix” of almost-free brain stimulus.

  Your brain needs exercise every day in order to stay in shape.  Don’t let Barbie take that away!

  Good luck,

  Allen Dobkin

• 04Jun

  Get the Biggest Advantage for Your Child

  ADHD, ADD, Sparks of Genius, aspergers, homework, learning disability, parenting, school, social skills, teacher No Comments

  Our nation has shifted its educational focus to standardized testing performance, for good or bad. One result is that parents, schools and districts are all looking for ways to play the system. If a school can massage the numbers just right, they get more funding. If parents can have their child diagnosed ADHD or with a Learning Disability, then the child can get extra time on the FCAT and SAT, which leads to a higher score and better college prospects. Plus, a little Ritalin or Adderall goes a long way. For anyone. Are your children getting lost in the shuffle? We hope to show you a trick or two to make sure that your kid has the best advantages, no matter what gimmicks are used by other parents and schools.

  Are the children getting lost in the shuffle?
  We hope to show you a trick or two to make sure that your kid has the best advantages, no matter what gimmicks are used by other parents and schools.

  The NY Times ran an interesting feature highlighting the advantages in redshirting: keeping a child out of kindergarten until he or she is a little older, as much as a year.

  Click here for the full article.

  Tool #1: Train your child to think that he or she is the boss.

  This may seem counterintuitive. After all, we often fight our kids to get them to do their homework. You want to transition your child’s current thinking from the perspective of “Educational Victim” to “Educational Entrepreneur”.

  Educational
  Victim	Entrepreneur
  Homework is an imposition	Homework is a challenge/tool
  Teachers are authority figures	Teachers are like employees
  I’m never going to use this in real life	How can I use this in real life?
  No dreams beyond play	Big, earth-shaking dreams
  High level of concern with appearing smart or cool	High level of concern with overcoming challenges
  Parents complain about school system	Parents participate in school system

  The institution of education, whether by accident or design, tends to create Educational Victims. In order to transition your child to thinking like an Educational Entrepreneur, requires adult-to-adult conversation. Your child doesn’t have the tools to change their own attitudes, so you must show them the way. Here’s how you do it.First, fix the “Stinking Thinking.” When you hear your child say things like, “I’m never going to use this in real life”, or “Miss Stinkyfoot is a rotten teacher” or “I hate homework”, take ten minutes and walk through this process. First, ask them exactly what is bothering them. Make them get specific. “He’s a jerk” doesn’t cut it. Once the complaint is out in the open, you must reframe it from the perspective of an Educational Entrepreneur. Here are some common translations.

  Translate Stinking Thinking
  Stinkin’ Thinkin’	iThoughts
  Homework is boring	Let’s turn it into a challenge: how much can you finish in 15 minutes (then take a fun break).
  Mr. Soandso is mean to me	Let’s find a way to make him a friend…just like we would as an adult with a mean employee
  I’m never going to use this in real life	Sometimes the content isn’t what is important, but mastering the PROCESS is. The best businesses have the best processes, not necessarily the best products.
  The subject is boring.	Tie the subject in to real life and show how it is important.
  I’m bored/hate school.	This student is stuck in victim mode. Reframe the school experience so that the child is the boss. Consider that the child may be overwhelmed and need some one-on-one help.

  To be continued tomorrow.

  -Allen Dobkin

• 31May

  Gimme a break! How to get kids to work more, waste less.

  ADHD, ADD, aspergers, homework, learning disability, parenting, school, stress, teacher No Comments

  ROWE, ROWE, ROWE your boat…at work but not at school. ROWE stands for Results Only Work Environment. Long story short: let people work how they want, when they want. Only measure the results. Performance and morale improve.

  There workers can come in at four or leave at noon, or head for the movies in the middle of the day, or not even show up at all. It’s the work that matters, not the method. And, not incidentally, both output and job satisfaction have jumped wherever ROWE is tried.

  Full article here.

  How can we use Results-Only to get our kids to perform?

  The bottom line for teachers and parents is that they need to get cooperation from 1-150 kids on tasks that, lets be honest, often aren’t interesting to them. If the child has ADD or a Learning Disability, the challenge is even greater.

  Are our schools results oriented?

  With few exceptions, in my opinion, No. This does vary from school to school and teacher to teacher, but overall I think that the atmosphere in America’s classrooms (big generalization here) is one in which students are evaluated on a mixed curriculum of education and discipline. In other words, the student’s grade is determined by both his or her mastery of the material and by how well he or she fits into the stereotypical pigeon-hole of a “good student”.

  It is not enough for a student to learn the curriculum. He or she must also meet the teacher’s expectations of behavior and discipline or their grades will suffer. Which means that their collegiate futures are at risk. Which means their behavior in and around the classroom will in part determine their future.

  Why is this bad? In my opinion, it is appropriate to evaluate behaviors, rule-following, conscientiousness and sociability. However, this evaluation needs to be made separate from an academic evaluation. Not merely out of fairness but because a student’s behavior does not reflect his or her mastery of the material. If the student has mastered the curriculum, and demonstrates that mastery on assessments, then his or her grade should reflect that mastery.

  Further, teachers evaluate behavior based on their biased backgrounds. Students with different backgrounds are unfairly penalized. Since most teachers are middle-class, poor students suffer.

  What do I mean? I mean that the student should not be penalized because he or she did not complete a non-assessment assignment (busy-work) or was disruptive in the classroom, or had a poor attendance record. Notice that each of these items are strongly correlated with poverty and a low socio-economic status. They also fit the profile of kids with Learning Disabilities.

  In my opinion, when teachers mix assessment grades with behavior grades, they are doing these kids a major disservice. I am especially thinking of my LD students. These kids’ futures are already at risk. If they are graduating on a regular diploma, and most are, then they need every point they can get on their GPA. When I go into an Individualized Education Planning (IEP) meeting for a student, and I see that his assessment grades are A’s, B’s and C’s but his report card is full of C’s, D’s and F’s I conclude that the student’s needs are not being met. Isn’t it obvious? He can ace the exam, but has seven zeros for homework assignments…he’s learned the material. Even more, he did it without doing the homework. For him, the homework was really just busy work.

  The goal of our schools should not be to pump out mass-produced cookie-cutter worker.

  Corporate America is realizing that if you let good people make choices about how and when to work, everybody wins. Lets take that lesson home and into the classroom. Recognize that people have different learning styles and preferences and that the goal of our schools should not be to pump out mass-produced cookie-cutter workers.

  Teachers: create multiple routes to success. Keep behavior and academic evaluations separate.

  Parents: realize that your kid needs breaks. LD and ADD kids need LOTS of breaks. Split their homework session in two. Have a physical activity planned for in between.

  One last quick story: a student of mine often comes in completely brain-fried. You know, that horrible feeling that you can’t even spell your own name right…for no reason! Once I realize we are up against the wall we go for a ten-minute walk and talk about video games. This lifts the mind-fog and learning can begin again.

  Good luck!

  Allen Dobkin

• 29May

  What Special Needs Children can accomplish

  ADHD, ADD, Sparks of Genius, aspergers, learning disability, special olympics No Comments

  Hi there everyone!I have spoken much about The Florida Special Needs Color Guard. Now is your opportunity to see them in action. Do not let anyone tell you that individuals with developmental disabilities are not talented, capable, special & so very unique. You will read the write-up from Winter Guard International & see an amazing video of this this fabulous color guard team. They are performing here in front of 23,000 at Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton, Ohio at the University of Dayton Arena. This took place just 6 weeks ago, April, 2007. Here is what thousands of hours of practice, determination, perseverance and guts can produce!

  Just click on:

  http://wgi.org/news_detail.php?id=1013%20class

  ENJOY THIS TRUE “LESSON IN HUMANITY”.

  WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS.

  ALL THE BEST, ELLEN

• 25May

  Brain Training Boot-Camp

  ADHD, ADD, art, aspergers, cognitive decline, learning disability, mTBI, memory, parenting, school, social skills No Comments

  Something happens to kids across America every summer, and you can practically hear the giant SLURPing sound as half of what they learned in school this year washes down the drain. The Brain Drain.

  All too often, Summer Camp activities are mind-numbing instead of mind-expanding.

  Like anything else in life, there are good and bad sides to the summer vacation and the camp experiences that often accompany it. Summer Camps can be great places where children can exercise their bodies and the seven intelligences ignored by traditional schools: musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, kinesthetic, spiritual and spatial.

  All too often, however, the activities are mind-numbing instead of mind-expanding. Kids need challenging mental workouts during the summer to keep their brains in shape. Here are some effective activities, and some not-so-effective activities that are great for summer fun.

  Here are some tips to help you maintain Brain Fitness for your kids over the summer.

  Boca Sparks of Genius is offering a Brain Training Boot Camp this year. It’s an intensive attention, focus, brain-enhancing boot camp; two hours per day for 1-5 weeks. Students use brain training video games, played with our mind-reading helmet by thought power alone. Its great for anyone who wants to acheive peak performance in school or sports and is especially helpful for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD) or a Learning Disability (LD). Click here for the PDF flyer.

  Boca Sparks of Genius is offering a Brain Training Boot Camp this year.

  Not everyone can make it, and that’s fine. Here are some tips to help you maintain Brain Fitness for your kids over the summer. It isn’t easy. You’re going to have to fight off Shrek, Pirates of the Carribean, Spiderman, Harry Potter (the movie, not the book) and every international company aiming their advertising squarely at your kid’s eyeballs.

  First, the bad.

  Video Games – these have a high stimulus payoff but minimal cognitive investment. Most games require manipulation of a handful of controls, which is nowhere near as challenging as organizing ideas for an essay or planning a multi-step science project.

  Television and Movies – again, high stimulus payoff but this time zero cognitive investment. Even when the content is educational, the activity is passive. The child may absorb some facts but it is the equivalent of laying down mentally: it won’t keep their brain in shape and in fact can lead to brainpower atrophy!

  If a child reads with automaticity, then she needs more challenging material to work out her mental muscles.

  Pulp Reading – if your child is reading challenged, then by all means encourage any kind of reading. However, if your child is reading on grade level, then pulp media like comic books, manga and sub-literary material do more harm than good! If a child reads with automaticity, then she needs more challenging material to work out her mental muscles. If your child is truly, madly, deeply in love with a particular piece, then have her write a thoughtful essay about the material.

  Texting and Instant Messaging – just imagine that your child is getting reward pellets instead of text messages and you’ll see why this activity is a stinker. Not only does it not expand the brain, it trains l33t-sp3@k..that wild combination of LOLs and AFKs that make texting work. Is it any wunder that our grammar stinx?

  Fooling around with crafts, or making lame projects, does not exercise the brain.

  Arts & Cra*s – Just because you give a kid some paint does not mean she will learn or do much of anything. Fooling around with crafts, or making lame projects, does not exercise the brain. The kids need to be challenged: paint or sketch with realism, brainstorm and create an image of what a 5th dimension might look like, play with perspective. Slapping paint on paper can be just as brain-draining as crafting in World of Warcraft or Dark Age of Camelot (Note for old people: that means very boring).

  Nature Walk of Doom – Yes, kids need unstructured play time and not everything needs to be educational or mentally stimulating. BUT, Nature Walks and Nature Trails and NatureH ikes that are part of Summer Camps are supposed to be enlightening. They are certainly wonderful opportunities. All too often, however, the kids are strung along by a bored volunteer or assistant who couldn’t tell the difference between a Blue Heron and an Egret if they bit him on the butt. The kids need a guide, even if just a book, who can teach them how to identify flora and fauna and show them how each species is unique and interesting. Then they need to use those facts in discussions or papers or projects or presentations. Make competitions, play Nature Bingo, but don’t just lead them around in a circle.

  Kids are strung along on Nature Walks by a bored volunteer who couldn’t tell the difference between a Blue Heron and an Egret if they bit him on the butt.

  Social Science – Summer can help kids break out of their social bonds. They can interact with kids outside of their normal cliques. Kids who are academically challenged may find it easier to make friends in an evironment where they are not being weighed, measured and found wanting. Or they can sit in isolation and never get anywhere. Kids without friends are not happy, not matter what they tell you. They don’t know what they’re missing! Making friends, sharing, telling secrets, having fights and making up, setting boundaries–these are vital life skills, and they take mental effort to build. How does your kid’s summer experience help build them?

  How does your kid’s summer experience help build social skills and friendships?

  MP3 Doom! – Curse the iPod! As if it weren’t easy enough to avoid people, now it is possible for kids to grow up without having to interact with just about anyone. This is bad, people! We socialize when we are stuck waiting in line and in class and in the lunchroom and on the playground–but not if we can just slap on our headphones and drown out the world with music. What kind of music? The simplistic kind with high stimulus payoff and little to no cognitive investment.

  We socialize when we are stuck waiting in line and in class and in the lunchroom and on the playground–but not if we can just slap on our headphones and drown out the world with music.

  Tomorrow: The Good!

  Be well,

  Allen Dobkin

• 24May

  Parenting a Child with ADD, ADHD or Asperger’s Syndrome

  ADHD, ADD, Sparks of Genius, aspergers, learning disability, parenting, social skills No Comments

  Hey there everyone!

  It’s Ellen again. As I muddle through my full, often exciting and stressful days, I think of  various subjects to write about that would have a positive impact on the lives of others. These subjects are usually ones which I personally have dealt with and I feel would be of significant value to discuss with all of you.

  OK….here goes! Many of you are the parents of children or young adults that have a disability such as ADD or ADHD. They are really bright and intuitive, yet their disabilities make many tasks so very tough. Many in the general population believe that in order to have “a disability” one needs to have physical or facial attributes of such. We know that is not the case. But, this is what makes their lives so tough.

  I know it hurts Wes, as well, he just doesn’t show his emotions–another characteristic of Asperger’s Syndrome.

  My son has Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD, as well. He is an extremely handsome, well built 26 year old young man. To look at him walking down the street one would have no notion that his Asperger’s Syndrome & ADHD make life so very difficult for him. Due to this fact, people expect “more” from him. They are not tolerant of the fact that when they drum up a conversation he cannot look you in the eye, does not understand social cues and finds it impossible to carry on a conversation without getting frustrated and ready to move on to something else, losing focus.  They wonder, “how can this be, he looks so normal, I don’t get it”. They cannot believe that he can have a disability because he “doesn’t look it”. They expect more from him and the lack of patience hurts me so very much. I know it hurts Wes, as well, he just doesn’t show his emotions–another characteristic of Asperger’s Syndrome.

  A unique characteristic of AS and certain levels of autism on the spectrum, is the amazing ability to focus on one particular subject or art and truly excel in it.

  Yet, also a unique characteristic of AS and certain levels of autism on the spectrum, is the amazing ability to focus on one particular subject or art and truly excel in it. Case in point, Wes reads sports statistics books daily. He is knowledgeable about just about every sport, such as, hockey, baseball, football, basketball, just to name a few. He knows information on every player, every team and if you were to carry on a conversation with him you would have no idea he has Asperger’s Syndrome (mild autism). In addition, many of the sports figures who live close by know Wes and respect him for the wonderful, kind person he is and enjoy carrying on conversations with him on his extensive knowledge of sports!

  This is why we must educate society. A person can have a disability and not have to “look it”. Likewise, a person can have a disability, have physical and facial attributes of such, and society does not give that person a chance. Their IQ may be “off the charts” fabulous….but due to their “look”, the thought is “how can they achieve anything great if they have special needs.”

  It is up to us to give our kids the positive reinforcement they need to continue being the creative, capable people we know they are!

  I suppose you have to really get to know these people to experience what I live with on a daily basis. Not only with Wes, but with all the other exciting, phenomenal children and young adults I work with on a daily basis. How amazing, capable, talented, special and unique they are. I suppose the moral of this story would be, “Hey guys, Don’t judge a book by its cover!” Let’s take the time to advocate for our kids and teach society that they are worthwhile productive children and young adults that may very well be our future leaders. Everyone is important, they just need to be reminded of that. And, it is up to us to give our kids the positive reinforcement they need to continue being the creative, capable people we know they are!

  Let’s shout it out….Let’s educate those that just don’t know what we know…..

  THESE PEOPLE ARE PRODUCTIVE AND RESPECTED MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, THEY NEED TO BE GIVEN A CHANCE…..WHAT WINNERS YOU WILL SEE!

  LET THOSE “SPARKS OF GENIUS” CONTINUE TO ENLIGHTEN US AS WE APPRECIATE AND MUDDLE THROUGH OUR BUSY LIVES. EVERYDAY IS A NEW EXPERIENCE, EVERYDAY IS A GIFT FROM “THE MAN UPSTAIRS.”

  All the best & G—D Bless,

  ELLEN

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