Articles of Interest

Past news items and articles that are still relevant.

Items

  • An interesting study that shows that sound training rewires dyslexic children's brains for reading. Click here to view study details
  • Looking for a free alternative to TradeMe try EzyAuctioNZ.
  • Here's an link to TVNZ's item on Decoding Dyslexia screened recently. Click here
  • Read about how the Ministry of Education has announced that they will officially embrace the term "dyslexia." Click here to view and download a PDF
  • Willard Wigan has a learning disability (Dyslexia), but has talented hands. He makes the sculptures out of dust particles, sugar crystals, etc. Works only around midnight, and can only do some of the work between heartbeats. Look at his feats of engineering genius!!

    Willard is a "micro-miniaturist," an artist known for creating some of the world's smallest sculptures.

    Willard Wigan was born in Birmingham, England in 1957 and is the creator of the smallest works of art on earth. From being a traumatized and unrecognized dyslexic child, he is now emerging as the most globally celebrated micro-miniaturist of all time and is literally capable of turning a spec of dust into a vision of true beauty.

    Willard can create a masterpiece within the eye of a tiny sewing needle, on the head of a pin, the tip of an eyelash or a grain of sand. Some are many times smaller than the full stop at the end of this sentence. Many are even smaller still, with some being completely invisible to the naked eye yet, when viewed through high power magnification, the effect on the viewer is truly mesmerizing. Willard, who is completely self-taught has baffled medical science and been the subject of discussions among micro-surgeons, nano-technologists and at universities worldwide. His work is ground-breaking - partly because of the astounding beauty of vision which challenges the belief system of the mind and partly because it demonstrates that if one person can create the impossible, we all have the potential to transcend our own limiting beliefs about what we are capable of.

    He works in total solitude at a quiet retreat in Jersey mainly at night when there is a greater sense of peace and less static electricity to interfere with the immeasurable precision and tolerances required to create the pieces.

    The smallest sculptures can only be measured in thousandths of an inch which is why they can sit, very delicately, on a human hair three thousandths of an inch thick. When working on this scale he slows his heartbeat and his breathing dramatically through meditation and attempts to harmonize his mind, body and soul with the Creator. He then sculpts or paints at the centre point between heartbeats for total stillness of hand. He likens this process to "trying to pass a pin through a bubble without bursting it." His concentration is intense when working like this and he feels mentally and physically drained at the end of it. Click here to view site
  • A link to TOURETTE syndrome NEW ZEALAND for people who would like to learn or understand the truth behind Tourette syndrome. Click here to visit the website
  • Article on NZ Government attitude on dyslexia. Click here to view article
  • Read what the Minister of Education, Steve Maharey has to say about dyslexia. Click here And then click here to have your say.
  • ADDventurousWomen - Support for Australian & NZ ADHD Women....This group is being established for Australian New Zealand women who wish to be active in the ADHD community. This group is also open to those women who live with ADHD in their lives, whether it is a spouse or a child. Click here to learn More
  • Visit www.specialkids.co.nz which is a bi-monthly subscription magazine for families of special needs children. Full of letters, special interest articles, tips and regular features, SpecialKids provides you with information, support, and the lighter moments of caring for a special child with special needs. SpecialKids caters for special needs children from birth to early adulthood. SpecialKids also market a small range of clothing tailored for special needs children.
  • ADHD e-BOOK: Living Right Now! (online and free) has been released which focuses on over-reactions, easy frustration, brakeless behaviors, time management, and organisational problems as key aspects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The book provides responsible, empathic, and extremely useful information for families and teachers... Click here to read more
  • The Civic Honors Awards Recipients for 2006. Click for more information...
  • With A Little Help From My Friends. Click here
  • Good News for Dyslexics - Click here for details
  • ADHD and dental problems - Click here for details
  • In Memoriam - Janey Melba Cumming - 1927 - 2004. Click here for details
  • The New Science of Dyslexia - Click here for details
  • Ruth Dyson, Address to Autism NZ, Wellington Branch. Click for more information
  • Forum on Mysteries of Learning Difficulties Click here for more information
  • Support Group Launched at Naenae Click here for more information