 |
| A natural landscape (from nature, not from the show) |
This morning I came across an intriguing interview with
Philip Johnson in the Weekend Australian Magazine (18-19th October, 2014, p. 6). Philip is an Australian landscaper who had the honour of winning the top award at last year's prestigious
Chelsea Flower Show in 2013, to highlight our connection to the natural landscape. The intriguing thing was not that the winner was from Oz but that he was colour blind. The question was, how could a person who is colour blind take out what is possibly the world's most famous flower show? What became apparent was the fact that his father took quite an interest in his son and taught him the dynamics of the colour wheel and how colours can dynamically work together.
What is more amazing is that he has severe dyslexia and he has just published a book. He found it extremely difficult to write but attributes his success to the support of people who made sure that he didn't feel hopeless and inferior.
I'd support this story as a HUGE win for supporting anyone with additional needs - whether a friend, family member or a student in a classroom! The same applies in all cases and, given support, many more people with additional needs can succeed! What's spectacular about this example is that it seems (making an inference) that his issues were with decoding, and that his comprehension (understanding) of things he has learned isn't a problem! Great example! thanks!! Gail Brown, currently a sessional lecturer at Newcastle Uni, Masters in Special Education!
ReplyDelete