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Dear Friends,

Growing up I attended a small rural catholic school in mid-Missouri. I entered kindergarten in the fall of 1977, just two years after Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, also known as EHA. Before EHA, many children were denied access to education and opportunities to learn. The Department of Education reports that in 1970, U.S. schools educated only one in five children with disabilities; and many states had laws that allowed schools to exclude children who were deaf, blind, emotionally challenged, or had an intellectual disability.

My small rural, faith-based school did not have the resources to accept students with disabilities. It wasn’t until I entered college in 1990 that I became familiar with the world of special education. As part of my teacher preparatory coursework for elementary education, I had to take a class titled Teaching the Exceptional Child. After first being awakened to the world of teaching children with different abilities, I quickly fell in love with the idea of helping ALL of God's children succeed.

In 1990 EHA was renamed as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and autism were added as new disability categories. When I graduated college in 1995 and started teaching special education, ADHD, autism, and dyslexia were relatively new exceptionalities. Resources, support, and guidance were hard to come by, especially since there was no internet! Oh boy, am I dating myself or what? We have come a long way in special education, but we still have room for improvement.

Fast forward to 2005, and things for me came almost full circle when I found myself as a special education teacher in a small rural Catholic school. I was desperately trying to meet the needs of my students, and my principal encouraged me to dig deep and find the support I thought our students deserved. With her full support, both professionally and financially, she allowed me to begin training in the Alphabetic Phonics program. This Orton-Gillingham systematic, multisensory reading program was specifically designed to support children with dyslexia. As soon as I began my training, once again I fell in love! The 3-year course kicked open the door to my soul, and I became hyper-focused on helping children with dyslexia and ADHD. My heart has always been drawn to those who need extra guidance and time to learn, but that particular training opened my eyes to the many variables that are often overlooked and go unaddressed for children who are born with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and other neurodivergent diagnoses.

In this newsletter, we will slow down and take a closer look at the dyslexic mind. Together we will learn to look for red flags and how to access the help your child with dyslexia may need.

With A Grateful Heart,

Jodie Maddox

Parent Coach and Education Consultant

If your child is having difficulties with reading, writing, or pronouncing words or has been diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyspraxia, it is important to maximize nutrients that will help their BRAIN and their EYES!

The top 2 nutrients for this are:

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

• Crucial for brain function
• Aid with eye movements associated with vision
• Foods rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids include fish such as sardines, mackerel, herring, tuna, and salmon. Other plant-based options include walnuts, seeds (hemp, flax, chia) edamame, and kidney beans.
• If your child is unable to consume adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids through food, then supplementation can be considered!

Vitamin A

• Important for the proper functioning of the retina (in the eye)
• Affects the brain cell activity in a region linked to memory and learning
• Foods rich in Vitamin A include cabbage, carrots, fish, full-fat dairy, meat, mango, melon, papaya, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, and tomatoes.

A Professional Perspective

An Open Conversation with A Child Psychologist and Parent Coach

We are so excited about the response to our Facebook events! Thank you for your support, we are so pleased the topics are connecting with each of you! Here is a list of upcoming topics and dates.

October 5th - How to help kids manage stress and anxiety and school.

October 19th - How to help kids manage stress and anxiety around friends.

November 2nd - Understanding the different types & symptoms of ADHD.

Join Dr. Tish Taylor - Licensed Child Psychologist and Education Consultant, along with Mrs. Jodie Maddox - Special Educator, School Administrator, Parent Coach, and Education Consultant, Live on Facebook starting in September.

Live discussions begin at 7:45 pm.

Discussions are recorded and can be viewed on Facebook if you miss the live event.

Join my Facebook group for more information about topics and to register for the event!

In the last 2 months, I have worked with 12 different schools to plan and implement professional development for their teachers. My background, passion, and focus have always been to help empower teachers and parents who work with children with special considerations. I offer a wide range of professional development to help foster a culture of inclusion and acceptance for all learners. I am also proud to support education professionals with a full range of instructional and leadership coaching. Contact me today, I can't wait to partner with you and your school!

Let's work together to make a difference for families with love and support in mind. For a description and full list of topics I am currently offering click here.

Should I Hire A Parent Coach?

I love working with families as they navigate the process of strategic improvement and growth. I especially like working with families with teenagers, children with ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, or other neurodivergent abilities. Helping parents rediscover the joy and unique gifts of their family is a true privilege.

If you are interested in a free consultation, to gain more insight into the coaching process, contact me today. jodiemaddoxicoach@gmail.com