Davis facilitators view dyslexia as being a manifestation of a nonverbal thinking style. Most dyslexics can be described as visual-spatial thinkers. They think well using mental imagery but have difficulty with some aspect of symbolic thinking, such as working with words and numbers.
We can give these problems another name – dysgraphia for the writing problem, dyscalculia for the math problem. Some educators prefer to label each problem differently and simply treat the symptoms, through tutoring or occupational therapy.
The Davis approach is different: we look at the underlying learning style and focus on eliminating the barriers. We find that some of the underlying barriers are the same for kids who can read well but have problems with writing as they are for kids who can’t read at all.
When we look at the underlying thought process, we can understand how a child can have a dyslexic thinking style but also be a good reader. Being able to recognize written words in a book is a different matter than being able to produce them on your own, and people who think in pictures can have a very hard time putting their thoughts into words.
When a person fits that category, a Davis program will help overcome writing difficulties. The Davis Symbol Mastery will give the person words to connect to mental pictures, and Davis Orientation will help with perceptual/motor skills related to writing.
