eReadingPro and Specs4Us in New Zealand

eReadingPro toured New Zealand in September (2010), and introduced our amazing reading program to parents and educators throughout the country. Wow! What a great trip it was! Maria Dellapina from Specs4Us came with me, and together we shared our special products for individuals of all ages with Down syndrome and other special needs.

The tour was planned and organized by the President of the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association, Neville Strong, as well as the National Coordinator, Zandra Vaccarino, and began with presentations at their National Forum in Auckland. Leaders from parent groups across the country were brought to Auckland to learn about various ideas and tools they could take back to their groups. The forum was extremely well-organized, and we met some wonderful people! Neville was a gracious host who was helpful beyond words!

After the National Forum, full workshops were presented in Auckland, Tauranga, Paikakariki and Christchurch. Great attendance at each workshops brought parents, educators and professionals to see just how eReadingPro works, and how easy to use it really is. We were welcomed with open arms by everyone we met. New Zealand and its people are beautiful and amazing, and if you haven't been there yet, you really should visit!

As a result of the amazing response we are having with our program internationally, we have now added an instant 'Downloadable' version to our range of formats available. This will allow individuals all around the world to have eReadingPro at their fingertips in only moments after visiting our website! Technology truly is amazing! This new downloadable version not only provides you with the complete Instructional Guide, all the vocabulary to present to your child, 14-month Presentation Schedules, AND over 600 printable flashcards that you can either print, or show your child right from the computer. The download also provides you with our 'Step-By-Step' video of how to set up and use the program.

We are always interested in hearing feedback and comments about how we can get more and more children reading - after all, it's just a matter of teaching them in a way that works best for them! Keep spreading the word about how well eReadingPro works! Invite us to come and speak to your parent group, school, or at your conference - you will be amazed!

Expect. Don't Accept

I awoke on Thursday morning to an email in my Inbox that contained a link to a keynote speech delivered by Paul Daugherty in 2009 at the Remarkable Families Symposium. You can take a few moments to read it here - it is truly inspiring!

In the speech, Paul spoke of his daughter Jillian, who was born with Down syndrome and was 19 at the time of his speech. He spoke of her impressive accomplishments such as performing in the school play, managing the school volleyball team, participating on the junior varsity dance team that entertains at halftimes of basketball games and holding the school record in her weight class for the bench press, the dead lift and the squat.

He went on to state that Jillian once had a special ed teacher who sat in an IEP meeting with him and his wife, stating that Jillian was incapable of learning. Other teachers didn't now how to teach her so they just didn't. Throughout their journey however, they have been guided by one thought: Expect. Don't accept.

Ironically, on Thursday afternoon I received a telephone call from a teacher who said she works with children who are mostly non-verbal, many of whom have Down syndrome. She questioned me about skipping the part in eReadingPro where you introduce 12 names. Her logic for skipping the teaching of names was that "names mean nothing to these children". My response, after I picked my chin up off the floor, was "why not try?" She then replied with "trust me, I've worked with these children for some time now, and I know the names will not mean a thing to them". I was appalled , and persisted in trying to convince this woman that learning what their friends' names looked like would mean a great deal to the children she was working with. The heart-wrenching part was that she truly believed what she was saying! I should have asked this woman for her email address so that I could forward the link that I had received just that morning.

I will be sharing the message of 'Expect. Don't Accept' in my eReadingPro workshops. It is a powerful message that needs to be shared, over and over again!