Thinking Differently

David Flink, the cofounder of Eye to Eye, a national mentoring program for students with learning and attention issues, has written a pioneering and comprehensive guide, the first of its kind. In his new book Thinking Differently: An Inspiring Guide for Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities (William Morrow paperback original, August 26, 2014), Flink — whose dyslexia and ADHD went undiagnosed until he was in fifth grade — helps parents understand and accept learning disabilities in their children. He provides proven strategies to successfully advocate on their behalf, enable them become their own best advocates, and break the cycle of shame and anxiety they often suffer.

Thinking Differently is a comprehensive toolkit for parents of children with learning disabilities. In it, David Flink offers:

• Effective, innovative strategiesand real-world applications for parenting, teaching, and supporting the 20% of young people with learning disabilities, written by a fighter who experienced these struggles firsthand.
• The power of the parent – Advice on getting proper diagnoses, working with teachers to reconstruct the learning environment, and becoming a “change agent.”
• How to teach kids to self-advocate, build their self-esteem, and discover their inner gifts.
• Illustrative stories from his own and other families’ lives.
• An overview of the legal rights and accommodations available to students with learning disabilities, and more.

Thinking Differently, with a foreword by Harold Koplewicz, president of the Child Mind Institute,is an essential, compassionate, practical guide for proactive parents that can help turn a learning “disability” into a learning difference.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Flink was a member of the first generation to students to receive accommodations for learning and attention issues. Taking ownership of his different-thinking brain, David began to excel academically and holds a bachelor’s in education and psychology from Brown University and a master’s in dis/Ability studies in education from Columbia University. He lectures globally and is the recipient of numerous awards including Ashoka and Hunt Alternatives Fund Prime Movers fellowships. He lives with his wife in New York City.