£50,000 FOR PUPIL WHOSE DYSLEXIA TEACHERS MISSED
By Nilufer Atik

A dyslexic whose condition went undetected by teachers for almost a decade has been awarded more than £50,000 compensation.

Robin Johnston claimed he did not reach his full academic potential because he was let down during his early school days. Mr Johnson, 25, was described at school as 'slow' and fell victim to playground bullies.

Despite showing clear symptoms of dyslexia, it was not until he moved to secondary school that he was diagnosed.

The IT technician from Bramhall, Cheshire, successfully sued Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council for negligence.

"The money helps but it can't really make up for what has happened," he said. "It can't change the past but it will help me in the future. I will be able to pay for a computer course which will enable me to further my career."

His mother Jennifer first noticed something was wrong when he was a toddler and was slower learning how to talk than his elder brother Simon.

When he attended St John's Church of England School in Offerton, Cheshire, Mrs Johnson voiced her concerns to teachers. They suggested a sight and hearing test in case he could not see the blackboard or hear the teacher, but no problems were found.

His difficulties became severe at six and an educational psychologist was called in to conduct an assessment - but no diagnosis was made.

His family the moved to Bramhall and Robin attended Neville Road Primary School, where the teachers said he was not dyslexic. "I always knew I was different to the other kids but I never knew why," said Mr Johnson. "I never missed school and was so stubborn I never gave up but I got bullied because I was different and that was hard. I became very depressed."

It was not until Mr Johnson started secondary education at Bramhall High School at 11 that his condition was identified. But it took a further two years before he was given the educational support he needed.

Mrs Johnson said: "We were contacted by his form tutor who said that they had never seen anyone as unhappy and stressed out as Robin and suggested in a very diplomatic fashion that he might be dyslexic. His tutor went on to say Robin was the worst dyslexic they had ever had and asked why it wasn't picked up at Neville Road Primary School?"

He was assessed by an educational psychologist at the Dyslexia Institute in Wilmslow, Cheshire, and was diagnosed as 'severely dyslexic'.

After those reports Stockport Council began providing extra teaching resources. His literacy skills improved almost immediately and he went on to attend North Area College, where he completed his NVQ Level 2 Diploma in Vocational Education.

He also gained NVQ qualifications in computing but was unable to gain employment in the field because of his dyslexia and took menial jobs such as tomato picker, kitchen assistant and aircraft cleaner. Further training in information technology helped him secure his present job.

Mr Johnson was awarded £52,500 plus costs at Stockport County Court.

Stockport Council said provision for pupils with dyslexia had since improved across the authority.
Daily Mail Tuesday 5th February 2002

PHILLIP DAY COMMENT: In my forthcoming book 'The Mind Game', due out in July, we discuss dyslexia and learning disabilities in some depth. Much work has been carried out in the realm of nutrition, food allergies and chemical toxin problems in relation to childhood behavioural disorders. Psychiatry's oft-preferred drug solution for hyperactivity, learning disorders and other childhood behavioural conditions has proven a qualified failure in addressing the underlying causes. So often drugs are used as a chemical strait-jacket to assist parents or teachers in controlling the child, which is why they have been so popular. These medications do mask symptoms of the condition, but in the process, introduce symptoms or side-effects of their own. As Dr Aelred Fonder remarks: "[They] do not address, nor correct the underlying metabolic or toxin-related problems, which may continue to fester and develop, if causation is not eliminated."

Now, as for the compensation angle mentioned in the above article, how much money and misery do you think we can save if we get the great news about nutrition and detoxification out to the general public?