As a toddler, I realised something was different with Codi and it escalated to the point where I could distinctly see the difference between him and his peers. I had him evaluated by a speech therapist, who confirmed his vocabulary was way below average. He did go for speech therapy, but we had to cut it short after I became ill.
During this time, I heard of Edublox Durbanville through a friend. We enrolled Codi for a lesson once a week on a Saturday. I then enrolled him at a local private school, where his challenges were once again confirmed. The speech therapist would work with him at school and send homework home. We saw a marginal improvement, but we realised what he hears and what comes out of his mouth were not the same. He went for another assessment, where it was noted that his nervous system has not develop properly and that he needed a hearing aid. We got one, and it worked for a good while. He repeated grade 1 (with an excellent teacher) and the teacher was happy with his progress, especially with the help from Edublox.
Unfortunately, Codi didn’t cope well in grade 2, which was clear already in the first term. We had attended a seminar the previous year with Maryke (the previous owner of Edublox Durbanville), where she introduced the EASY programme. We kept that at the back of our mind in case we’d need it the following year (grade 3). Before the end of term 1, however, we informed Maryke that he would be joining them on the EASY programme already from grade 2 term 2.
One of the biggest concerns that we’ve always had with Codi was his inability to think logically. At the end of that term, his marks on the Edublox Logical Thinking test jumped to 80%, up from 0%. His confidence increased daily and where he always avoided speaking to strangers, he was suddenly talking to anyone who would listen to him. He was able to defend himself among his peers. They previously would walk over him, and he would give them whatever they asked of him, including his favourite toys. Now he could voice his feelings of not wanting to share his toys, or challenge them when they demanded something from him. We ensured that we were always in the room to discreetly watch and monitor his interaction with his friends.
Someone at our church asked me what was happening to Codi. He had never spoken to him or greeted him, as he is this big burly guy and somehow our son felt threatened by him. He said that Codi came up to greet him and even asked him why his hands were so sweaty. He would never have dared to do this if it wasn’t for the intervention of the Edublox EASY programme. The Edublox team was brilliant and took their time to break it down for Codi whenever they realised that he didn’t understand something. One of Codi’s other challenges was the fact that he didn’t recognise numbers 6 to 9, and where two numbers were next to each other, i.e. 36, he wouldn’t be able to recognise that number. This is no longer an issue!
Codi used to be on Ritalin and after doing a 10-day intensive course and an Edublox lesson once a week, he was soon taken off the medication and is functioning much better without it. His handwriting, that used to be all over and untidy, became so neat that he is now complimented on it. He still needs to become more confident in his reading ability, but it has also improved greatly. This is clear in his English school grades, which improved significantly in his second year on the programme.
Children with similar challenges suffer immensely with low self-esteem, which brings about many other challenges. By bringing your child to Edublox, I believe your child will be equipped with the same skills that any other child has, who is not faced with similar challenges. We tend to always think that they (children with dyslexia) operate differently and won’t ever be able to function normally or reach their full potential. So far, we’ve been blown away by Codi’s progress and can really assign it to the dynamics of the Edublox programme and the dedication and attention of Hannelie and the team at Edublox Durbanville. With the opportunity to have such a close relationship with the tutors, any issue can be resolved quickly and speedily.
Jessica Cupido
Codi’s English and maths marks in Term 1 of Grade 2:
Codi’s English and maths marks, Grade 3:
Jessica Cupido Codi's mother
