Hi!
Like a number of other sites on nonverbal learning disabilities and autism, this
site was started by a parent.
We spent thousands of dollars on psychological evaluations and remedial education
for our son. But it all failed
to detect what my wife discovered when my son was young--that he was very good
at music. (Later when he was in 7th grade, I discovered that he was pretty good
at chess, too.) Now he is looking forward to being a music major in college.
Our experience is not unique. Many stories on this site confirm that some
affected children enjoy high abilities in global cognitive processing
activities--such as music--that they can not achieve in activities that require
extensive executive,
right-brain processing.
It is unfortunate, therefore, when parents and educators direct huge amounts of
resources towards remediation of weaknesses at the expense of early
identification and development of strengths. While remedial education is important, nothing takes the place of a child
knowing that he or she is loved and is specially gifted, regardless of the level
of "talent." Unfortunately, not every child with a learning disability has
a higher-than-average compensating strength. In fact, having a strength can create greater
frustrations when it is compromised by the disability.
Hopefully, this site will be a resource to bridge the gap
between problems and potentials. Therefore, I want to encourage parents with children who
have been diagnosed with right-hemisphere, executive reasoning issues to explore
your child strength's in music, chess, and math. Please explore these
strengths early--5 years old or younger! And just as importantly, involve these
strengths in the the difficult educational choices of adulthood.
There are a lot of anecdotes about the tendency for children with these
profiles to have strengths in these areas. (Someday a formal study will test if
this anecdotal association is indeed a fact.) In the meantime, please add your
experiences and insights to this site. Regardless of your child's ability, the
arts of music and music therapy are great gifts that will certainly enrich your
family's life. Let me hear from you!
--Steve