Great Minds do not think alike! Dare to be different!

1. For all the kids and adults who have been told that they are stupid, retarded, slow to learn, too dumb to understand, careless, foolish, lazy, stunned, clueless, that they are failures and/or that they have a learning disability…

2. Great Minds DON’T Think Alike?

3. Robert Munsch, accomplished author, almost flunked first grade and also the second, third, fourth, and fifth. He never learned how to spell. He graduated from eighth grade counting on his fingers to do simple addition, and in general was not a resounding academic success.

4. Did you know… Learning Disabilities are Neurological disorders that make social and/or academic skills difficult to acquire… but not impossible!

5. Sarah Miles, a British-born actress, author and playwright was expelled from four schools… She still has difficulties with reading.

6. Did you know… Learning disabilities are not caused by economic circumstances, environmental factors or cultural differences.

7. Harry Belafonte, a gifted actor, grew up in a school system where nobody understood the meaning of learning disabilities. He was constantly subjected to physical abuse by teachers because of a learning disability and because the whipping of students was permitted at that time.

8. Did you know… People with learning disabilities have average to above-average intelligence and many are Geniuses!

9. When Dr. Epstein, a pioneer in paediatric neurosurgery and patient-friendly facilities was in elementary school, learning disabilities were not understood. He was viewed as unintelligent. From his perspective, the greatest sadness was that kids with learning disabilities viewed themselves the same way.

10. Did you know… One out of every ten people has a Learning Disability

11. Financial Guru , Charles Schwab says that the real problem with kids who struggle with learning is that some kids feel like they're stupid. He wants you to know that you're not. You just learn differently. Once you understand that and have the tools to learn in your individual way, then you will feel good about yourself.

12. Great Minds Dare To Be Different!

13. Agatha Christie was known as the "slow one" in her family. Writing and spelling were always very difficult for her. She was an extraordinarily bad speller and remained so all of her life.

14. Did you know… “The greatest intelligence is precisely the one that suffers most from its own limitations” Andre Gide, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, 1947

15. When Stacey Poulos, Author of “Blessed with Dyslexia” learned in 7th grade Special Ed class that Albert Einstein was dyslexic, she stopped being ashamed of her learning disability. The same people who made her feel inferior thought Einstein was a "genius". It was then that she realized that she had the potential to do great things.

16. Albert Einstein said that his teachers reported that he was “mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in his foolish dreams." Hans Albert Einstein, Son of Albert Einstein

17. “ Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich!” Tao Te Ching

18. By the way… did you hear about those four kids who were heading for dead-end lives…

19. One was spanked by his teachers for bad grades and a poor attitude. He dropped out of school at the age of 16. Another failed remedial English and came perilously close to flunking out of college. The third feared he'd never make it through school--and might not have without the help of a tutor. The last finally learned to read in third grade, devouring Marvel comics, whose pictures provided clues to help him untangle the words…

20. These kids were considered by society to be losers!

21. The first kid was Richard Branson, who became a successful Innovator and British Industrialist…

22. The second kid was Charles Schwab, who is now a leading provider of investment services and renowned financial leader…

23. The third kid was John Chambers, who became the CEO of Cisco Systems…

24. … and the fourth was David Boies, now a top Attorney heading high-profile cases across the US!

25. If this is what it means to be stupid, retarded, slow to learn, too dumb to understand, careless, foolish, lazy, stunned, clueless, a failure and/or learning disabled… then I want to be just like you , when I grow up!

26. … and one last thing… For those people, whether professionals or laymen, and anyone in between, who are unable or unwilling to envision true potential and to see true ability… If you are unable to help, keep it to yourself!

27. Demonstrate, Involve, Empower Series Presented by: Catherine Llwyd WAV-E-Training www.wav-e-training.com