Waltzing Matild.....Georgia!

So after spending the entire day sitting in with Georgia while she worked at Stowell, I've pretty much determined one thing: She works her butt off. Now that isn't to say it was all happy, rosy and sunshine. First of all she was NOT happy to have me there. Which I fully expected, but still felt slightly.....slighted. All of the teachers who worked with her were so great, though, and told her (gently) in no uncertain terms that Mom *had* to be there to learn too. It appears that the "core" work is what is going to be hardest for Georgia, and Jill said if time became a factor, we should definitely just leave out some other things and focus on the core. This is a series of physical exercises which will address balance, sensory input and body awareness among a host of other things. Research has apparently determined that folks with dyslexia have never integrated certain reflexes from infancy, which causes a lack of physical control (a sort of constant static that the dyslexic is dealing with on a certain level) that takes up their energy and focus, leaving no energy for higher level functions. Georgia has always, ALWAYS had problems with coordination, knowing where she "is" in space, voice modulation....the list goes on.

I chatted a little more with the 10th grade girl who has befriended Georgia. She told me that she worked for 12 weeks, took a 2 week break, and was now on another 12 week course at the center. I asked her if she felt that she had improved alot, and she said "Oh, yeah. Before I was reading on like a kindergarten level, and I've gone all the way up to a 6th grade level!" You could tell she was so proud of herself, and confident.

Georgia and I talked this afternoon on our way back from getting a few groceries. I told her how much work this is going to take, but that we are ALL willing to put the time in if she is willing. She seemed pretty cool with it! I guess I'm looking at this as a kind of 12 Step program for waltzing dyslexics. We'll just put one foot in front of the other, live one day at a time, and see where we end up.