The Gift of Dyslexia Workshop is now available ONLINE

This 30 hour workshop was developed in USA in the 1990s and it is an introduction to the basic theories, principles and application of all the procedures described in Ron Davis' best-selling book The Gift of Dyslexia.

Cost: R 7,900 per participant, including a kit with all materials needed.

DRAMATIC CHANGE IN FIVE DAYS

Below is a short video of Isabella, a PROFOUNDLY dyslexic 10 year old girl, who did not recognise a SINGLE letter of the alphabet before she experienced the Davis methods.

After years of trying every intervention available, Isabella's mother was on the verge of giving up. At the age of 10, Isabella still had not learnt a single letter of the alphabet, and could not write her own name. Her mother then attended the 4-day Gift of Dyslexia workshop, and straight after that she started a DIY programme with her daughter at home. This resulted in Isabella learning 8 letters of the alphabet at home in 4 weeks, and having finally seen some progress, her mother decided to play it safe and bring Isabella for a professional 5-day Davis Dyslexia Correction programme.

FIVE DAYS LATER - in the morning of day five - Isabella was reading.

You can learn to do this too

In only four days (five when done online) you can learn to do what Isabella's mother did. You will obviously not be quite as confident or successful as a fully licensed Davis Dyslexia facilitator, who completes over a year of intensive training, but you will still be able to make a big difference to any child or adult struggling with dyslexia.

Upcoming Gift of Dyslexia Workshop

Date: 8–12 JANUARY 2022

Venue: Online via Zoom.

Cost: The cost per person is ZAR 7,900.- and can be paid by EFT. Payment instructions will be emailed after registration is completed.


About the presenter: Axel Gudmundsson, director of Gifted Dyslexic, and Davis Dyslexia Association Africa has been a Davis facilitator since 2003. Axel had one of UK's busiest Davis practices for 10 years, and now works as a Davis Supervisor-Specialist and Davis workshop presenter from Cape Town, South Africa. As director of DDA-Africa he also manages training and quality control in Africa from his base in Cape Town.

Register here

Davis Facilitator
Licensing Programme

Training programme 2022

The 2022 licensing programme starts with The Gift of Dyslexia workshop, 8–12 January 2022, and it completes by year-end 2022. The details of the licensing programme by clicking below.

Click here for details about the full training

NOTE:

The Davis name is a registered trademark, and requires a licensing agreement with DDAI for using it to describe therapeutic or educational services.

Completing the Professional Davis Facilitator Licensing Programme is needed for such licensing.

The Gift of Dyslexia workshop

This is a stand-alone workshop, but at the same time it forms the first step of the full Davis Facilitator training. If you are interested in becoming a qualified Davis Facilitator, this workshop is your first step.
Training is done with a combination of lectures, demonstrations, group practice, and question and answer sessions. Attendance is limited to ensure the highest quality of training.

Daily schedule:

  • 9.00 start
  • 10.30 - 10.45 morning break
  • 12.15 - 1.00 lunch
  • 2.00 - 2.15 afternoon break
  • 3.30 finish

Participants will learn:

  • Proven methods for helping adults and children improve reading, spelling, motor coordination, and attention focus.
  • How and why the Davis methods were developed.
  • How dyslexics think and perceive.
  • How to assess for the “gift of dyslexia”.
  • How to eliminate confusions and mistakes in basic language symbols.
  • How to incorporate the Davis methods in a therapeutic or educational setting.

Who should attend?

The workshop is open to anyone who wants to develop a deeper understanding of dyslexia and to acquire effective and deeply satisfying skills to help with literacy problems. We have found that most people attending the workshop come from one or more of the following groups:

Parents, Home educators, Teachers, SENCOs, Special Needs Support Staff, Tutors, Psychologists, Counsellors, Speech therapists, Occupational Therapists, Trainers, Researchers, and Career Guidance Counsellors. in fact, anyone interested in helping others correct their dyslexia.

Why should you attend?

  • If you have a dyslexic in your circle of friends or family, and you want to take matters in your own hands, this workshop is for you.
  • If you are in teaching or special needs support, and looking for improved results and more satisfaction from your existing work, this workshop is for you.
  • If you are a therapist or a councillor and you have clients you suspect might have dyslexia, this workshop is for you.
  • If you are responsible for providing quality education and excellent return on investment, this workshop is for you.
  • If you are interested in training as a Davis Dyslexia facilitator, then this workshop is your first step.

Below you can watch an interview on SABC with Axel Gudmundsson, director of Davis Dyslexia Association Africa, the presenter of the workshop discussing the Davis Dyslexia Correction Programme.

After completing this workshop, you are free to use all the procedures in your existing work, or free of charge working with friends and family, but you can not use the Davis trademark promoting your services.

If you want to offer your services as a Davis professional, the full Davis Facilitator training is needed, and then this workshop would still be your first step.

Save

Course Outline

Day One

Background and development of the Davis procedures
  • The “gifts” of dyslexia. How a talent can cause a problem.
  • The three "puzzle pieces" of dyslexia.
  • Disorientation and perceptual distortion.
  • Dyslexia and picture thinking.
  • Subliminal thinking.
  • The threshold for confusion.
  • Anatomy and developmental stages of a learning disability.
Symptoms Profile Interview
  • Symptoms Profile Interview is a guided self-assessment used to assess symptoms, strengths and weaknesses, set goals, and establish motivation.
  • Demonstration and Pair-work Session.
Davis Perceptual Ability Assessment
  • Davis Perceptual Ability Assessment is a screening for dyslexic learning styles.
  • Demonstration and guided walk-through.
Evening assignment

Practise Perceptual Ability Assessment at home (with a family member if possible).

Day Two

Review and Q&A

We review yesterday's sessions to see if any there are any areas of confusion.

Perceptual Ability Assessment Practice

Pair-work practice of the procedure demonstrated yesterday.

Davis Orientation Counselling

Davis Orientation Counselling is a method to control, monitor and turn off perceptual distortion.

  • What is Orientation?
  • Preparing your client for the session
  • Demonstration and Guided Walk-Through
  • Pair-work practice
Evening assignment

Practise Orientation Counselling at home (with a family member if possible).

Day Three

Review and Q&A

We review yesterday's sessions to see if any there are any areas of confusion.

Release Procedure

Release Procedure is a method for alleviating stress and headaches.

  • Group demonstration.
Orientation Review Procedure

Orientation Review Procedure is a method for checking orientation skills.

  • Demonstration
  • Practise
Alignment Procedure

Alignment is a tactile-kinaesthetic alternative to Orientation Counselling.

  • What is Alignment?
  • How is it used?
  • Group Demonstration
Reading for Disorientation

Reading for Disorientation is an exercise where the client gains practice in self-detecting disorientation and re-orientating

  • Demonstration
Dial-Setting Procedure

Dial-Setting Procedure is a method for controlling energy level and ADD symptoms.

  • Group Demonstration
Evening assignment

You practise Orientation Review and (optionally) Reading for Disorientation at home (with a family member if possible).

Day Four

Review and Q&A Session

We revisit yesterday's work and see if there are any gaps in your understanding.

Fine-Tuning Procedure

Fine-Tuning Procedure is a way to check and adjust orientation, using balance.

  • Demonstration
  • Pairwork practice
Davis Symbol Mastery Introduction

Davis Symbol Mastery is a method for achieving full mastery of any symbol.

  • What is Symbol Mastery?
  • Why clay?
Alphabet Mastery

Alphabet Mastery is a method for mastering the basic symbols of writing.

  • Demonstration
  • Pairwork practice
Davis Facilitator Licensing Programme (optional)

We spend about an hour discussing the Davis Facilitator Licensing Programme, leading to a license to use the Davis methods commercially.

Evening assignment

You practise Fine-Tuning Procedure at home (with a family member if possible).

Day Five

Review and Q&A Session

We review yesterday's sessions to see if any there are any areas of confusion.

Punctuation Mastery Procedure

Punctuation Mastery Procedure is a way o master punctuation using Symbol Mastery.

  • Demonstration.
Dictionary Mastery

Dictionary Mastery is a way to make friends with the dictionary and become self-sufficient in looking up the meaning and sounds of words.

  • Overview
  • Demonstration
Reading Improvement Exercises

The three Davis Reading Improvement Exercises provide an effective alternative to phonetic reading:

  1. Spell-Reading.
  2. Sweep-Sweep-Spell.
  3. Picture-at-Punctuation.
  • Demonstrations and Group Exercises

Symbol Mastery Exercises for Words
  • Demonstrations and group exercises