Dore method's the way for Greenhill School pupil Dean (From Western Telegraph)

Dore method's the way for Greenhill School pupil Dean

2:50pm Sunday 29th November 2009

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When young Dean Edwards got stuck in to a twice-daily workout, he wasn’t building bulk and muscles.

Instead he was exercising an under-developed part of his brain thought to be responsible for learning difficulties.

His brain training included juggling beanbags, balancing on wobble boards and eye-tracking exercises, all designed to target the cerebellum — the thinking part of the brain.

And Dean’s dedication to the tasks has seen his schoolwork standards soar. From being at the bottom of the class he has now boosted his brainpower to such an extent that he has won a ‘most improved student’ award at Tenby’s Greenhill School.

Out of more than 200 pupils, Dean, now 14, showed the greatest improvement in his work between Key Stages two and three.

“When I heard that Dean had won the award, tears of joy and relief streamed down my face, I was so proud,” said his mum Julie. “I can only put his improvement down to the brain-training programme, and Dean’s own focus and commitment.”

Julie and husband Martyn admitted they were at their wits’ end at the thought of Dean’s future because he suffered from ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) and ODD (oppositional defiant disorder).

“He was atrocious in the classroom, not because he was badly-behaved but because he just couldn’t retain information, and he lost the will to try,” said Julie, of Jeffreyston.

“He went to Stackpole School where the staff were absolutely fantastic with him and worked tirelessly to help him but it was as though everyone was beating their heads against a brick wall.

“Since he went on the Dore brain training programme he’s retrieved a lot of that information from primary school because his brain has been taught how to work properly.”

Not only did Dean’s performance in the classroom improve but his social skills were boosted as well.

“He’s admitted to me now that he used to feel ‘empty inside’, but now he’s a totally different boy,” said Julie, whose younger son Ben, aged 11, has also started on the programme. “He has really started to believe in himself, and stopped thinking he is different.

“And now I actually look forward to Dean coming home from school and asking me to help him with his homework!”

Visit www.dore.co.uk for details of the Dore method.

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