I Speak of Dreams

Help for Children with Multiple Challenges

Book Plug and a Meet the Author event--Friday,April 21 Reception with refreshments at 6:30 pm in San Francisco

As a parent of a special-needs child, you fight every day for your son or daughter. You negotiate mazes of red tape, try to get the attention of doctors, teachers, and other professionals, and watch as the world “classifies” and “categorizes” your totally unique child. But nobody knows your child as you do. That knowledge is the key that will unlock the door to a happier, healthier, more productive life—and a more secure future—for your child.

PARENTING YOUR COMPLEX CHILD presents a revolutionary, practical and powerful system for marshalling information and observations about your child into a cohesive plan for his or her daily life, and for documenting and communicating the child’s individual needs in a way that guarantees attention and action. Parenting Your Complex Child Become a Powerful Advocate for the Autistic, Down Syndrome, PDD, Bipolar, or Other Special-Needs Child 

Meet author Peggy Lou Morgan
Friday,April 21 Reception with refreshments at 6:30 pm
Book signing and discussion at 7:30 pm
Barnes & Noble at Fisherman's Wharf,
2550 Taylor Street, San Francisco

It's How You See It

Alvin Hawkins shows me the way to think.

Dealing With People You Can't Stand.

I bought Dealing with people You Can't Stand to pass some time while waiting...the perils of not bringing a book...

To my surprise, this turned out to be a little goldmine of good ideas, presented in a way that a lot of people can carry away the messages. If someone at work is chapping your hide, I strongly recommend that you buy this book, read it, and map out some strategies for change.

This isn't a "how to hurt the bad guy till he stops"--this is developing your own capacity to manage your emotions and think on your feet.

Rick Brinkman and Rick Kirschner evidently met in college, and wrote this book as

You can also study this book for Continuing Education credits for therapists and counselors. You could do worse.

Tyrone Hayes

Recently there have been discussions of African American achievement--discussions around Cosby's comments, the relative rarity of American-born African-Americans at such venues as Harvard (Joanne Jacob's post is a good summary and her commenters give you a feel for the climate)

Because I am looking for Positive Psychologyexamples, I'm interested in people who do achieve despite odds. Tyrone Hayes, PhD was born in Columbia, South Carolina, did well in high school (high SATs), went to Harvard and graduated with honors, went on to Berkeley where he earned his PhD in record time, and now is becoming known outside of the small world of comparative endocrinology. Hayes has moved more into the public eye because he is outspoken about the politics of reseach and the risks.

High Achieving Dyslexics: Toby Cosgrove

Delos “Toby” Cosgrove was born in 1940, well before we had a good handle on dyslexia and how to treat it.  None the less, he became a renouned cardiac surgeon.  In June, 2004, he started a new career: at the age of 64, he is starting on another career: the leader of the Cleveland Clinic.

Spanish-Speaking Dyslexics

Victor Villasenor was born in the United States, where he started school--with two burdens--he spoke only Spanish, and (as it became clear later) he was dyslexic, and had auditory processing problems. In his new book, Burro Genius,

Villasenor takes readers with him to his first day of kindergarten in Oceanside in 1945 where he was physically abused and screamed at for asking to go to the bathroom in Spanish ----- the only language he knew. Since he couldn't ask in English, he had to urinate on himself.

It would be the first of many horrific school days that became more damaging to his self-image when he couldn't read like the other children. It took a couple of Anglo cowboys and a substitute teacher to help him see himself for who he was, a hardworking intellectual ---- a burro genius.

Is it better now? Some, but I am glad Villasenor is publishing this book. A person can be dyslexic and a novelist, a person can achieve although poor. I hope that he is also publishing this book in Spanish and on audiotapes--many people for whom Spanish is their first language would be inspired by his story.