True Story of Success

True Story of Success: Garrett, 11 Years Old

We found Learning Rx several years before we signed up.  I had attended a presentation for teachers to introduce Learning Rx and its program.  At the time, my son was a toddler and we did not know that he would have issues learning.  Several years after he started school and we were fully aware that he had challenges, we were fortunate to receive a mailer announcing a new location whereas the previous one would have been geographically prohibitive for us during a school week.

Prior to his initial IEP meeting before his first grade year, I told him Garrett, then seven, that I’d be meeting with his teachers and what did he think they were going to say.  I was excited that he would be finally getting services to help, and was hopeful that he could read my enthusiasm as an exciting stepping stone.  I had the wind knocked out of my sails when he looked up at me with the saddest eyes I had seen to that point and said, “They are going to tell you that my classmates all have bigger brains than me.”  As a teacher with a degree in Specific Learning Disabilities, I knew we needed outside assistance in addition to anything the school could provide if for no other reason than to build up his self-esteem.

Garrett has spent 8 months at a tutoring center before he was diagnosed with dyslexia, and over a year working with a vision therapist after his diagnosis.  He was not thrilled with attending either therapy and toward the end of each intervention, the battles to get him there were overpowering the benefits of going.  I can count on one hand the times he left Learning Rx frustrated or angry, and those were more related to being overtired than unhappy with the tasks asked of him.  He was engaged, challenged, and looked forward to working with Priscilla.  On days that he achieved the next level of training, he walked out beaming from ear to ear.  He never once, in 6 months, argued about going to training after a full day of school.  He was not only eager to attend and learn more, but disappointed when he found out that after his 6 month plan, he would not be seeing Priscilla everyday.  He wanted to do more because he finally found that he could learn, and he was smart, and he would be able to do the work that his classmates were doing.

We noticed his improved self-confidence within the first week when he came home and was able to recite the first 20 presidents of the United States to his older brother (who couldn’t name the first five!)  Within a month, he was reading with fluency that we had never seen.  He was working on his eye contact when speaking, and that was not even an issue that I had discussed with Terri nor Priscilla when we started.  Priscilla also worked on his speech even though, again, it was not something we discussed as part of his training, but he was so happy to work on anyway.  His teachers noted that he was attending better to tasks, and that his grades in reading picked up.

We tell everyone we meet what a blessing Learning Rx has been to our family.  As a teacher for 22 years, with a background in special education , I had battled for three years to get Garrett the services that would help him be a happy, productive student.  We never found that in the public school system.  In just six months at Learning Rx, Garrett was reading with fluency that was close to grade level, opposed to the 2 years below grade level that he started with.  When we listen to him read now, it is hard to believe that a year ago, he had difficulty reading “the” fluently from one sentence to another.  He reads the bylines on TV, and billboards while we are in the car.  He attempts to sound out words that are difficult where he used to say the first word that he thought he was reading and hope it was correct.  He cares about what he reads, and we never thought he would WANT to read, much less be able to.  His teacher this year was surprised to find out that he had such difficulties before and did not initially provide him with the accommodations listed in his IEP, as he did not need them to the extent that they were written.  While he still benefits from extended time, he is able to keep up with reading in class, and even volunteers to read out loud.

We will forever be in debt for the work and love that Learning Rx spent on Garrett.  They have given us the dream of having a happy child who can learn, despite having a disability.  He feels smart and is able to prove it now.

Respectfully,

Jacalyn A., Garrett’s Mom

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This is a stock photograph and not an actual picture of Garrett. This has been done to protect the privacy of this student and his family.

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