“You need to go to all the schools and find boys like me – and stop the torture!”

 

“I thought there could be one more thing I could do – and you have done it for me!”

 

19-year-old student who went on to redo his unit standards, passed well and… to everyone’s surprise including his own, won the ‘Student of the Year’ award at the PTE he was attending.

 

This student’s results prompted me to take the Davis Facilitator training seriously and I ended up taking a year to prioritse the Davis training full time. (I had been doing it part-time while working previously) Best decision I ever made! Very satisfying work with talented and wonderful clients. It is my full-time delightful job now – working from home or travelling to the client if appropriate.

Note: most of the confusions and disorientations with this student prior to his Davis programme had probably arisen due to him having been forcibly changed from ‘left’ to right-handed at school (age 5). ‘Handedness’ is still developing at 7 and 8 years old or older. Please be aware that it does not matter at all which handedness is dominant – and some of us are ambidextrous.

Each of us is a unique bundle of talents, skills and abilities with potential to grow and develop new neural pathways for new skills. Davis programmes keep, encourage and appreciate the skills our clients bring with them; clients are only adding new neural pathways helping them achieve their goals.

… When asked of what else has he noticed, he said “I have heaps of energy! Before I would be tired all the time and didn’t want to do anything. Now I can put my mind to focus on things and I know I can do it.” Kapai S.!!!  

From my observations as a tutor, S. is happier, extremely more confident and his willingness to try something new is inspiring. Previously he would not make eye contact, say yes and just stare at the paper, too scared or confused to try anything. 

The fear of failure is gone and he is ok with getting it wrong and keen to keep trying until he succeeds. He happily asks questions to clarify his understanding – he would not have done this before. In the short time you have worked with him Claire, there has been an amazing transformation and whilst there is still work to be done, especially around numeracy…. the difference you have made to this young man’s life is nothing short of beautiful! Thank you… from the bottom of my heart, for working with one of our students. It is definitely something for me to aspire to!

Rae MacDonald Workplace Trainer & Marketer

Hi Claire

Just a note to say how much of an improvement we have seen in S. since you have been working with him. Before you started, his ability to write a complete sentence was very poor and his spelling was extremely bad. He could spell phonetically but it took some interpretation with some of it. He could not write some letters properly and frequently used capital letters within a word and scribbled repeatedly over some letters to correct them, making them harder to understand.

He now has good control over his handwriting and [it] is easy to read now, and his spelling is also improving beyond what I could have expected. The help you have given him has been incredible and has changed him so much. He is more confident and enthusiastic.

Good luck with your future endeavours, I sincerely hope you have the ability to work your magic on more needy students like S. (19 years old)

Steve Bluett
Carpentry Tutor

I heard about Claire Ashmore and the Davis Dyslexia Programme from one of her previous clients, and I was interested to see how a Davis Programme could also help me. Since doing the Davis Reading Programme my concentration, reading and comprehension have become much better. For the first time in my life I have read a whole book from start to finish, word for word. Not only was I able to remember what I’d read, but I could also understand it. My written communication has also improved, which is an important skill to have in my line of work.

A few years ago, I suffered a series of minor strokes which had affected my balance. But since using techniques I learnt during the Davis Reading Programme my stability is better. Together these improvements have helped my confidence greatly.

I am very happy with my results from doing the Davis Reading Programme with Claire, and I would not hesitate in recommending Claire as a Davis Dyslexia Programme Facilitator to others.

Peter T (65 years)
Kaumatua

Latest Testimonial from a Heavy Industry Workplace

“I want to thank you personally for your work with [employee name] this year. As far as I am aware, this was the very first time that we have brought on board a programme of one-to-one assistance for someone with dyslexia. And I am very glad we did so. I feel that the Davis programme has opened a door for [name] that had been tightly shut for some time.

Without a doubt, it’s really been an eye-opener for me just how dangerously easy it can be to write off people who have trouble learning things in the way that most of us learn things and, very fortunately, that quality non-judgemental assistance is available to help people with dyslexia.

Yes it’s taken longer than we originally planned but it has been very worthwhile for the organisation and very rewarding for me to see and hear of the changes that have occurred as a result. 

Results always speak for themselves. This, essentially verbatim, is the feedback from one of (Employee name] peers: 

“Just this week [name] was one of 5 applicants for a senior role in the area. The interview team were very much impressed with the depth and strength of the answers he gave to all questions. We were also impressed with the questions he asked of the interview team at the end of the interview. As a result, he was offered and has accepted the position. There is no doubt that you [Claire Ashmore, Professional Learning Support] must take much of the credit for this transformation.”

Chris Beck.  Area Manager,  OJI Fibre Solutions.
Kinleith Pulp and Paper, NZ

This has been a wondrous process, seeing him master the skills to enable him to read. 

Yes, it was hard work; yes, it took commitment; yes, it took consistency and self-discipline; and yes, he did it.  

It was exciting for me, and a privilege to be part of the process.

I learned such a lot and will always treasure it as one of my special highlights

‘Nan’ did the post-programme clay support with Jared* (11yrs)

Our thanks to Claire. I have seen [employee name] grow with confidence under your program so for me it has been a good investment. I also know that [employee] has enjoyed growing in confidence. I think more businesses would really benefit from an investment like this because of the confidence that comes from your program, not only the individual but all the people associated around them benefit.

I would be happy to do verbal references too.

Gary Lightfoot, Managing Director, Waikato Steel Fabricators, Hamilton.

I was part of the interview team interviewing XXX today for [new role]. We allowed him to express his ideas his way and as a result he was outstanding in the interview.

I feel that the Dyslexia issues identified some time ago with XXX and the subsequent work done by XXX with Claire Ashmore with the support of both yourself and XXXX was instrumental in the huge improvement now evident in XXX. We believe he has the potential to further develop and cannot see any hindrance to his continued improvement.

Another example of understanding and support being the winner. Thank you

This programme HEALED me! It healed ME

Adult client 50 years old. Engineer.

“For the first time in my life I have read a whole book from start to finish, word for word. Not only was I able to remember what I’d read, but I could also understand it. My written communication has also improved, which is an important skill to have in my line of work.”

Peter T. 65yrs 

This course changed my life. While learning about dyslexia to ‘help’ (fix) my husband, I learned about my own oriented and disoriented states of thinking. I am 72. I never knew about this. Result: My marriage improved. My relationship with myself improved. Before learning Davis Methods, I hated myself. I was tired of life. I wanted to die. I stayed alive out of duty and obligation.

I did not realize that disorientation was a beautiful space of creativity and imagination – when used consciously, at appropriate times.

Now I am learning to move seamlessly back and forth between oriented and disoriented states, at will, for specific purposes. I am loving life. I give myself permission to be disoriented, creative, and a brilliant writer. And then I come back and give myself permission to be a focused, brilliant, analytical person, who can put together complex tax & banking documents.

I do NOT give myself permission to hate myself.

The internal war is over.

Thank you Claire and Rachel!

F Naga

Claire and Rachel provided open, engaging conversations and activities that unleashed me personally to embrace the Gift of Dyslexia. The Grace and Ease of looking at ways to celebrate and share in our families and with others our differences.

The course gave me confidence to share and celebrate with others, especially family our uniqueness.

This course is life altering and you do not want to miss the opportunity!

Mary Pat Rogers

Fantastic learning experience for my nephew. The positive changes that I’ve seen in a very short time has been amazing.

Thanks Claire you are an amazing teacher.

Even I’ve learnt things!

Atinisi Umutaua

I am incredibly grateful for Claire’s program, which has significantly impacted my son in just a few days. He has grown immensely, becoming more comfortable and confident in his own skin, taking control of his identity.

This transformation is all thanks to Claire’s dedication and passion for enhancing perceptual learning abilities. Her professional yet caring approach is a blessing to everyone she works with.

Thank you, Claire, for taking the time to work with our son, making such a difference in his life. 🌟

Lili’a Lemuelu-Viliamu

On the 15th of October 2024, CPB Contractor New Zealand had the privilege of having Claire Ashmore attend our online Lunch & Learn webinars, enlightening us about Dyslexia.

Claire, approached the topic not by merely defining dyslexia but by inspecting its root cause, which was an eye-opening approach to understanding this common learning difficulty. Claire informed us about the usual indicator of dyslexia, taking us beyond the typical dyslexia struggles with words and reading. She expanded our understanding by mentioning other potential signs, such as difficulties with time management.

One of the key things I took away from this webinar was the need to destigmatize dyslexia. Claire emphasize how crucial it is to view and discuss dyslexia not as a disability, but as a unique cognitive framework with its own strengths. She stressed the importance of enhancing the mana or respect of individuals with dyslexia is by focusing on their talents and skills, instead of their struggles.

We discussed creating robust support systems for those with dyslexia, facilitating an environment where they can thrive and benefit from their unique cognitive abilities. This journey includes effective strategies for workplace support, assistance, and accommodations for employees with dyslexia and facilitating tools and strategies that free the mind.

Claire shared real-world examples of how dyslexia has impacted a person at work. She detailed the measures that were taken the mitigate the situation, offering practical advice and solutions. This brought home the realities of living and working with dyslexia, whilst also illustrating how the right adjustments can make a world of difference.

This 1-hour webinar deepened my understanding of dyslexia, encouraging a positive, inclusive viewpoint, and empowering us to better support individuals with dyslexia.

Claire’s profound understanding of dyslexia, combined with her insightful approach towards addressing it in the workplace, make her an invaluable resources. We whole-hearted recommend her as a source of knowledge for anyone seeking to understand and address dyslexia in their organization.

Paea Longopoa (her/she)
Diversity & Wellbeing Advisor
CPB Contractors New Zealand