Dyslexia Success Stories
Adults, children and parents share their results from our dyslexia programs
I’ve finished a three-month program with Barbara and I’m definitely a different person. I am a lot less overwhelmed, my stress levels decreased so much and I’m not only much calmer and happier at work, but also in life. I have much more energy as a result.
I used to write big reports which had stressed me out, while now it’s so much more positive. My writing has improved as much as my emotional response.
I had the confidence to go to an interview of a new position at my job – and not only did I get the job, but I was able to change the terms to make it a permanent contract and I’m so happy in that new role.
I’m so grateful to you, Barbara – I wouldn’t be in the place I am without working together, including the meditations and all the work we did well beyond literacy.
The fact was that Barbara taught me that Dyslexia was not a disadvantage but in fact a huge advantage, this turned my thinking around. Barbara was able to show me where my brain was working and why I thought the way I did. Barbara also taught me what the ?rest of the world? wanted and how they see the world. Barbara has given me the confidence to pick up the pieces and try again, despite how high the mountain in front me is. The fact is that there will always be mountains in our journey, it?s how we approach these mountains which shows our worth. Passage of a letter by Dr. Neil Macpherson
Letter received after a dyslexia assessment at Sydney Dyslexia:
Thank you for your email. When sharing the news with my immediate family, I broke down and cried. I hadn’t cried like that since a close friend had passed away so many years ago. This diagnosis validated all the years of struggle, all the embarrassing and humiliating moments at school that destroyed my self-esteem. All the negative thoughts about myself being ‘dumb’ or ‘unintelligent’. I have spent many years to pick up the pieces, fight the demons and to believe in myself.
But I am glad I endured it all as it made me more resilient and hard working. I am excited to embark on improving my literacy skills through techniques that better serve the way my brain works. I have signed up for the one year school and will get started on it this week. I will keep in contact to schedule our next appointment once I hit any barriers with the online program.
I think the best part was the process to get him centered to realize what he is about to undertake and the willingness to do so. He is now willing to start tasks like writing that used to scare him and undertake the process, knowing he can do it. He now knows he can achieve anything he sets his mind to.
I don’t think my reading was bad but Barbara helped me to get over my reluctance to write. I feel I now have more confidence in spelling and writing. Also, now i can tell the time and convert analogue to digital time easily. Thanks, Barbara
The techniques you have taught me, the meditations, visualisations and ways of writing have helped me so much with focus and spelling.
I didn’t have the confidence to write – and now I am writing a detective novel. I never thought I’d do that or that I would enjoy it that much. I enjoy getting the unfolding story from my head onto paper and describing it in a way that the reader gets as interested as I am in the suspense of the story.
It has helped me gain so much more confidence – also in my work. Thank you.
I have found the tools I received very helpful. I used to try to read fluently, without paying much attention to what I read. Now I stop and make a picture and not only comprehend everything, but I also study what I read, make bullet points, break down the text, think and comment about it and it helps me enormously to get my bachelor of theology. My clay alphabet always sits next to my computer to help me remember the spelling of difficult words. Reading the book you gave me (The Purpose Driven Life) has also been life-changing. Being present helps me to focus and be in the middle. Thank you, Barbara
“The experience (from the dyslexia training) was amazing….You put a key in my head and you turned it and now I can read.. (Learning over one year) is going to help everyone dyslexic or not. I think it’s the right way to learn such complex words…(In 2016, I won the top award for being top engineer of the world from 8,000 people). My amazing professor saw my ability …my determination to want to finish things…he was my biggest advocate to bring me into a university… scholarship program…researching things in Silicon Valley to bring back to Australian universities..…”
Andrew – Client whilst at University. Now Engineer and completing a PhD
Hi Barbara, it’s J.D. I’m not sure if you will remember me but I certainly remember the person who changed my life physically and mentally. When I was little I just thought not being able to spell and read was normal, but as I grew older the other kids in my class just seemed to pick up and know everything so quickly. As I got older, teachers started to give me ?special treatment? (which I hated ) and soon enough the other kids in my class started to look down on me, and didn?t want to work will me. I still remember the first time mum sat me down and told me she had been looking into a lady called Barbara Hoi who might be able to help me read and write. At this time I had no idea I had dyslexia. Soon enough mum told me she had booked 3 days in Sydney with you. I think I was just exited that this lady could change my life, which is what happened. We had to wait about one or two months before mum said we could go, and OMG that was one of the longest one/two months of my life..
I remember telling myself to really try and focus because for once in my life someone actually cared how I felt and how I went in school (other than my family). You showed me a Harry Potter book, and I just thought this woman is crazy, I can’t read that. Sure enough that book was the first book I had ever completed in my life. After that trip I was going so well teaching myself in class and people started to work with me again. We decided to book again to the Entrance for maths. I remember being so happy when I completed some large number divided by another (5.2439588312 ÷ 3.2225). I am now a 14 year old girl that can read, write and complete large maths equations. I am in year eight at …. Catholic College with great grades and amazing friends.
About three week before we were about to leave I remember coming home from school and just crying. I don’t exactly know what I was crying about. Maybe because I was angry at the teachers and myself. Every time I asked a teacher to spell a word she would say ‘sound it out’. I always tried so hard to sound it out again, but it just made me more confused and angry. By this time I just thought there is no use in trying when I’m not getting any smarter. Every day I would pray that I didn’t have to read out loud. Just the thought of that made me sick. Words just wouldn’t come out of my mouth and would sometimes switch around. When it came time to leave for Sydney, I didn’t tell anyone, not even my best friend that I was visiting you. Finally the day had come to meet you for the first time. I remember sitting down and the first thing you said to me was, ‘How are you?’ and I said ‘Good’. You then replied, ‘How are you really going, what are your worries?
Barbara you are an amazing woman that has been the angel to so many kids and adults just like me. You showed me who I truly am and will always be and how to accept that. There aren’t enough words to describe you. I am truly and utterly thankful that I was able to meet someone like you in my life. You have been a great large part of who I am and who I will grow to be. Growing up with the knowledge you have given me has dramatically inspired me to be true to myself and accept who I am and accept others. Barbara, I will never forget what you have done to me and I will never forget you.
“And we came out the other side completely different child, he is now an avid reader and absolutely chews through Harry Potter’s. We can’t get enough books to keep him going to satisfy his appetite for reading.”
Parents of Sam and Markus
Hi Barbara, I don’t know if you have had any contact with my daughter-in-law Kelli from Wagga, you helped her daughter Josephine with her dyslexia. I just want to let you know that she is doing incredibly well at school, her reading is amazing. A recent assignment that she did was so good that her teacher insisted that she read it to the school at assembly – at first she was reluctant, but then she relented and she read it out. This would never have happened if she hadn’t met you.I don’t think my reading was bad but Barbara helped me to get over my reluctance to write. I feel I now have more confidence in spelling and writing. Also, now i can tell the time and convert analogue to digital time easily. Thanks, Barbara
We are so glad to have spent a week with Barbara studying the Davis Dyslexia Correction Technique. Barbara took us on a journey of discovery, and emotional healing. She repaired self esteem, equipped us with some really useful techniques and started us on a road of positivity and success which honours my son’s unique talents. My son now enjoys reading and is often awarded 10 out of 10 with spelling. He now enjoys school. Our week with Barbara was like a special seaside retreat, and left both Robert and I refreshed, healed, inspired and ready to work. Completing the Davis programme does take some commitment and time, but it is time very well spent, and Barbara equips students and parents so very well for success. Robert and I both thank Barbara from the bottom of our hearts.
I know that may be a little long, I had trouble shortening that. You may use the shorter thing you originally wanted if you want. But I think it sells you short. I think the Davis stuff is great, but there is a lot more , probably even more important, that I think you gave us. And that was the healing / getting us ready to try again. I don’t know if you did that intentionally or if it was just a combination of the location, the beautiful accommodation, your personality, the Davis technique, but without that, we wouldn’t have made the progress we have. Thank you
The difference: January this year Josephine was borrowing picture books from the library, would never willingly read and If she had to would read very simple books for her age. August this year she has just finished the first Harry Potter. She is reading every night voluntarily. The big difference also is, that she now believes she has a very special gift that will be hugely beneficial in her life, and that dyslexia is just a different way of learning. She now wants to spread the word and is very confidently telling everyone she is dyslexic and that’s OK! She said to me, “Now I can tell other kids my age it’s Ok, not to worry, they just need to learn the right way (for them) to learn.” It wasn’t until Barbara pointed out the special traits that picture thinkers had that it all made sense: creative, intuitive thinking, a fantastic imagination and great storytellers! I am so grateful that Barbara has given Josephine the confidence to proudly say ” I am Dyslexic
“She’s just doing amazingly well at school …And she also has just gained so much confidence. She started a little business….. and it’s only because she’s been able to have worked with Barbara ….because she wouldn’t have had the confidence for that.”
Josephine’s Grandma
Barbara, you have given me the tools to work out the meanings for words, sentence structure, grammar and now I enjoy reading! I am starting to see patterns and I am getting the academic foundations to apply at Uni. Now I am confident in my ability to tackle my course. I now read differently and see the context from a different perspective. Words now have meaning! I now know how to build words, remember their spelling and put them in sentences. I am more excited now about my future – it’s like being excited about putting the puzzle together. Thank you so much!
Since working with Barbara Hoi, I?ve been able to grasp concepts that were obstacles to learning throughout primary school, high school and my university years. No educator could teach me in all those years what Barbara taught me in 5 days. More than that, she has helped me to join the dots to a larger understanding of how my brain works and how to get the most of it. This insight surpasses relief, for me it is unquestionably a life-changer. Barbara is a highly knowledgeable and skilled professional, who is warm, optimistic and committed to her students’ learning success. If you have the joy of being her student, I encourage you to follow her guidance to the letter, and it’s likely your life could change too
“Finding Barbara was amazing…. Naomi came to Barbara for some sessions and within a week she was reading simple chapter books. Before that, she was struggling with KIndy readers in Year 3.”
Dougall
13-year old Dyslexic boy: Wrote to me on 28/2/13 On Tuesday I had to hand in an assignment on Warrington Boarding School, which is actually a fake school. I was proud of the work I handed in, because I did everything myself. Yesterday I got the results back for it, and I had an “A”. I was very happy because it was the first “A” I ever got! Thank you, Barbara. Robbie, 13
This course does not only correct Dyslexia, but it also prompts you to look at your life and change it into what you really desire for yourself. I originally took the Course to understand and possibly help my own son; however, along the way I was inspired to alter my mindset and look into a field of creative and renewed possibilities. I recommend it to anyone who wants to delve into the world of the Gift of Dyslexia and its many aspects – or who wants to turn Dyslexia into a gift to themselves
“Finding Barbara was amazing…. Naomi came to Barbara for some sessions and within a week she was reading simple chapter books. Before that, she was struggling with KIndy readers in Year 3.”
Naomi’s Mum
Hi Barbara, I have finished all my words!!! And guess what, I have become school captain and won the speech contest. Thank you so much for everything
“I would like to be a teacher when I grow up and teach primary kids. I think that would be good to be able to help other kids that were in the same boat as me when I didn’t know how to read or do those things that I now know how to do.”
Sam
“Prior to (the course), I found life rather difficult. I would pretend to read the paper.. My reading was about a 3 year old. I found it good to do the program …and life is very different. I don’t struggle to read things now… I’m actually understanding it and enjoying it a lot…I just take my time….”
Robert 65 year old Client
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