“No, look, ‘cat’ is spelled C-A-T. Now Tad, how is cat spelled?”

“No Tad, I said the man went to the store. Now, where did the man go?”

I was a child and these simple questions were tortuous. Language made absolutely no sense to me. Because of this I felt stupid, alone, and of less value than other people.

Luckily I can see and draw things three dimensionally. I became an artist, but lacked skills of organization and language to promote my art. Over time artwork piled up in my studio, I became discouraged and all of a sudden making art became a burden rather than a joy. That’s when I stopped pursuing a fine arts career.

Around that time I began receiving CranioSacral Therapy (CST) for ongoing high-level pain. The treatments helped to decrease my pain levels so much that I learned CST to help others as I had been helped. I’ve immersed myself in CST for years.

Understanding the world visually has been a great asset for me in my clinical work and in studying the human body. I often “see” what my hands feel while working with someone in the clinic. This helps me to understand what is changing in the client’s body. I also love to draw or animate images that relate to CST which helps clarify information for myself. I know if I can draw it, “it” being anything from a body part to a biological process, then I know it. Visuals can make learning easier for others too, whether dyslectic or not.

Words? Word use has become easier for me over the years due to practice using them, receiving CST, and help from a friend who shows me “glitches” in the way I use language. CST helps my brain to see, hear, understand, organize and use words better. Words are becoming more like friends rather than monsters.

If you know someone who is having difficulty with language, or has been identified as “dyslexic,” please ask him or her to view these videos. They show children accepting themselves as unique and using their differences in creative and inspiring ways.