Testimonials

Life Changing

My name is Mark Alexander, I grew up in a small southwest Queensland town with a population that always seems to sit around 3,000. From memory, very early primary school was okay and It was not until around Year 4 or 5 that the difficulties started to come to light. My year 7 teacher was the…

My name is Mark Alexander, I grew up in a small southwest Queensland town with a population that always seems to sit around 3,000. From memory, very early primary school was okay and It was not until around Year 4 or 5 that the difficulties started to come to light. My year 7 teacher was the first person to see it and she was also the last. One day she asked me, “When you look at a page in a book, what do you see?” I remember looking at her, confused and she gently repeated, “Just tell me what you see.” “I see rivers,” I replied. The black words seem to melt into puddles and all I see are the gaps between the sentences and paragraphs like rivers. That was it, nothing more was ever said. Maths was extremely difficult and foreign for me and my mother always argued with my teachers that I should have been in the higher-level English class but I was always placed in the lower level. Her argument was simple, he reads beautifully, he can pronounce the big words and knows what they mean. The teachers agreed, but their answer was always the same: “Yes, he can read the words and read beautifully, but Mark is not comprehending what he is reading.” By the time I was 29, I was working for Queensland Rail, ambitious, but I held myself back, I could appear confident, but that confidence could disappear quickly because I would recall all the embarrassing moments from school and how stupid and dumb I had felt. My thinking was simple: do not stand out; do not put a target on yourself. It’s is funny how I was often perceived as confident, while internally I was constantly criticising myself. That is the part of this that nobody sees or fully understands. No expert or parent can truly understand how deeply internalised it becomes or how harsh you become on yourself, because you do not want to be different. Being good at something brings praise. Not being good at something, especially academics, brings ridicule, as most adults know, school can be a harsh place and kids can be brutal. One day at work, during a general conversation, a colleague told me about his nephew, who was attending the Allison Lawson Clinic in New South Wales for dyslexia treatment. I asked him a million questions about the clinic and his nephew’s symptoms and they sounded very similar to mine. I immediately made inquiries and booked in, I took two weeks’ holiday, borrowed a caravan from a mate, packed up my then partner – now my wife – and we travelled from Toowoomba in Queensland to Moss Vale. (That trip is a great story for another time). The two weeks I spent with Allison were great. She reminded me of my great grandmother, who I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with. Allison was direct but she went about everything lovingly and made it clear what was expected. Life went on and I didn’t dwell too much on the treatment, but things started to change, my comprehension improved, my confidence grew and I wanted to attend as much training as I was allowed. Eventually I interviewed for and was successful in a supervisor’s role leading a very large team with a $2.3 million payroll and $4.2 million worth of machinery, from there, I have not looked back. My career has taken me all over Australia and New Zealand as a supervisor, superintendent and funnily enough a trainer and assessor. I am now 54 and we have been running our own business for the last two years or so, we run a small rail company, provide training and consulting as well as starting our own Registered Training Organisation. Training people I find is easy, because I know how I felt when I was being taught, so I know how to treat people and help them. When I see people struggling, I tell them my story, I tell them about the Allison Lawson Clinic and what it did for me. I have absolutely no doubt that Allison’s treatment changed my life forever and I have never stopped telling people about my experience and what it did for my life.

Mark Alexander Managing Director – Rail Training Consulting Moss Vale June 20, 2026

Grateful Journey

17th October, 2025. Dear Maria, We are writing to express our deepest gratitude for the knowledge, guidance and unwavering patience you’ve shown while working with our son over the past 10 weeks. Your dedication and insight have made a profound impact, not only on his reading and writing skills, but also on his confidence, motivation and…

17th October, 2025. Dear Maria, We are writing to express our deepest gratitude for the knowledge, guidance and unwavering patience you’ve shown while working with our son over the past 10 weeks. Your dedication and insight have made a profound impact, not only on his reading and writing skills, but also on his confidence, motivation and self-esteem. When we first began this journey, we felt uncertain and overwhelmed. Watching our child struggle with something as fundamental as reading and writing was incredibly difficult. From our very first meeting, however, it was clear that your expertise and compassionate approach were exactly what he needed. Despite the efforts of mainstream schooling, essential foundational skills were not being attained, and the curriculum simply didn’t allow the time or flexibility for students like our son to catch up. The combination of his learning challenges and these systemic limitations was leading us down a discouraging path. But you stepped in and met him exactly where he was, without judgement and with great care. Through your structured, methodical and collaborative approach, you began to build not only the skills he lacked, but also the confidence he lost. We are deeply appreciative of the way you guided this process so thoughtfully and intentionally. Your deep understanding of the ways dyslexia and convergence insufficiency affect children was exceptional. Before starting at the Alison lawson Clinic, we struggled to find a specialist who could holistically make sense of our son’s challenges and offer practical, effective support. Working with you has been a turning point. We have witnessed a remarkable transformation, not only in his reading and writing abilities, which have improved significantly, but also in his overall attitude. He no longer approaches reading with fear or frustration. In fact, he now engages with books and homework with pride and growing curiosity. That shift is a direct result of your support, encouragement, and belief in his potential. More than reading strategies, you have given him something far more enduring: resilience, self-belief, and the knowledge that challenges can be overcome with the right guidance and effort. These are lessons that will carry him through life, long after the sessions have ended. Thank you for being such a steady source of support, insight and hope during a time when we truly needed it. You celebrated every step of his progress, big and small, and helped him recognize his own potential when he was struggling to see it himself. We honestly don’t know where we’d be without your involvement. On behalf of our entire family, thank you. Thank you for your time, your dedication, your compassion, and your unwavering commitment to helping children like our son not only improve academically but also begin to believe in himself. We are incredibly grateful to have had your help on this journey. With heartfelt appreciation, Archer’s parents.

November 2, 2025

Remarkable Improvement

Hi Maria, Thank you for all you have done. From a teachers comment he has no hope, to a catch up class that he could no longer attend as he wasn’t making progress like the other kids. We made the decision to enrol at the Alison Lawson Clinic with Maria, at the start Riley could barely…

Hi Maria, Thank you for all you have done. From a teachers comment he has no hope, to a catch up class that he could no longer attend as he wasn’t making progress like the other kids. We made the decision to enrol at the Alison Lawson Clinic with Maria, at the start Riley could barely retain the alphabet let alone write all the letters correctly. Sounding out words was very basic and Riley struggled with his numbers. Each week we had the full support of Maria, nothing was rushed, each week we had small improvements. We followed all the homework and did as much at home as Riley could handle. We lived this program for the 10 weeks, but with all this hard work we have seen so much improvement in a short amount of time. This program has changed Riley’s life, he has so much more confidence and self esteem when it comes to his learning, not long into the program Riley was sighting and writing the alphabet and learning the correct sounds of the letters that now he can read and write in simple words. Within a couple of weeks Riley could count and write numbers 1 to 100. We still have a long way to go but Maria has given us the foundation and all the skills we need to continue at home, at our own pace. We are still working very hard and Riley is very willing to learn as the experience has been so positive and he knows how much progress he has made. Riley is now retaining sight words and sounding out words to read and write. Writing sentences is now a fun activity done with confidence. I’m very excited for Riley’s future and can’t wait for Riley to be able to walk back into Maria’s office and read his cat in the hat, Dr. Seuss book. Very proud Mum Hollie Balfour

July 13, 2025

Highly Recommended

My youngest son (aged 11) who was recently diagnosed with dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia attended The Alison Lawson Clinic with Maria in term 1 this year and over the 10 weeks, the improvement was amazing. His reading ability has significantly increased and he is now choosing to read more age appropriate books with small print and…

My youngest son (aged 11) who was recently diagnosed with dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia attended The Alison Lawson Clinic with Maria in term 1 this year and over the 10 weeks, the improvement was amazing. His reading ability has significantly increased and he is now choosing to read more age appropriate books with small print and it is no longer a struggle for him to read them. His spelling and phonological awareness is also so much better and even his hockey skills and coordination improved as a result of the program. I had seen such an improvement that I have sent my eldest son who is in year 7 to do the same program this term, he does not have dyslexia, but there were areas with his learning and coordination which I could see needed some refinement, Maria has really helped him to target those areas and I can see a big improvement with him too. Overall, very happy with the results shown in both my children and would highly recommend anyone considering doing the program to give it a go. thanks Tracey

June 25, 2025

Reaching full potential.

Hi I attended your Croydon centre a long time ago (2011) and completed the dyslexia treatment program with Fiona. Reaching out to thank you for allowing me to grow as a person and reach my full potential. Admittedly I still struggle since I’m autistic and have ADHD but wouldn’t have achieved everything I currently have in…

Hi I attended your Croydon centre a long time ago (2011) and completed the dyslexia treatment program with Fiona. Reaching out to thank you for allowing me to grow as a person and reach my full potential. Admittedly I still struggle since I’m autistic and have ADHD but wouldn’t have achieved everything I currently have in life without your amazing services! Also wanted to let you know I’ve just completed a memoir which touches on these struggles and brutal truths around my neurodivergent journey. Please feel free to visit my website at: https://www.travis-alexander.com/ And get in touch if you’re interested to learn more! Merry Christmas to everyone at the Alison Lawson Clinic!

Travis Pike January 1, 2025

Erica Fenech

Hello I just thought I would touch base and let you know how Kyah Fenech is doing. Before starting the Alison lawson Centre, Kyahs school report stated that she was 6 months behind her peers. Now in her most recent report she is now 6 months in front of her peers! She has developed a love…

Hello I just thought I would touch base and let you know how Kyah Fenech is doing. Before starting the Alison lawson Centre, Kyahs school report stated that she was 6 months behind her peers. Now in her most recent report she is now 6 months in front of her peers! She has developed a love of reading and writing stories. Thank you for all the help. Kind Regards Erica Fenech

Erica Fenech Moss Vale March 6, 2023

Highly Recommended

Our daughter Annika was struggling with reading, writing and maths. Returning to school in 2022 we realised how far behind Annika had slipped. She was just able to read basic books like Billy B Brown which she tried very hard to read, but struggled to comprehend, as she would loose the thread of the story due…

Our daughter Annika was struggling with reading, writing and maths. Returning to school in 2022 we realised how far behind Annika had slipped. She was just able to read basic books like Billy B Brown which she tried very hard to read, but struggled to comprehend, as she would loose the thread of the story due to the constant decoding needed to read the words/letters. Her spelling was even more of a struggle. We started the Alison Lawson program in April 2022 and seen improvement firstly in her reading and decoding. The program also teaches them the times tables and after about 3months Annie learnt 1-12 times tables. Something that gave her great confidence in class as she was one of only a few that had learnt them. Her spelling is also improving. The program has a holistic approach and Maria needs to be commended for her style of teaching and flexible attitude, we also did some extra sessions of tutoring when the program had finished which help Annika to catch up in general. Annika is now onto reading Wolf Girl chapter books, and most importantly able to comprehend and enjoy what she is reading. I highly recommend this program, I found it more effective than other programs I have previously done with our son. I only wish we had found Maria and the program earlier. Thankyou Maria Jo Clarke

Jo Clarke Moss Vale February 1, 2023

Great programs

Maria is great she did an amazing Job with our son and we are so greatful to have her here to help. We would highly recommend

Maria is great she did an amazing Job with our son and we are so greatful to have her here to help. We would highly recommend

Turner February 10, 2020

I continue to be impressed by Maria’s help.

Cooper finished his sessions with Maria a few months ago now, I didn’t want the sessions to end because Maria was so fantastic, helpful and caring and Cooper was making such amazing improvements and I continue to be impressed. He has received so many awards at school for improved reading. His school report was fantastic, he…

Cooper finished his sessions with Maria a few months ago now, I didn’t want the sessions to end because Maria was so fantastic, helpful and caring and Cooper was making such amazing improvements and I continue to be impressed. He has received so many awards at school for improved reading. His school report was fantastic, he puts in a huge amount of effort in all subjects as he now has so much confidence including his soccer skills and I never hear him say he doesn’t want to go to school anymore. He continues to use strategies that Maria has thought him to challenge himself. Before seeing Maria, he struggled to read a sentence, He is now reading chapter books. I’m so proud of him, his teacher is so proud of him and is amazed with the progress he has made since the start of the year. I am so greatful we came across Maria at the Alison Lawson Clinic. I rave about Maria to anyone I speak to that mentions their child is struggling, I don’t know how Cooper would have continued in school with out Maria.

Mel and Cooper August 30, 2018

A positive change for our child

Since completing a 10 session program at the Alison Lawson Clinic, Moss Vale, our child has become organised and more confident in their apporoach to learning. Our child is now happier in all aspects of life. We have noticed an improvement in eyesight, reading, reading comprehension, spelling, writing and maths at school. We are very grateful…

Since completing a 10 session program at the Alison Lawson Clinic, Moss Vale, our child has become organised and more confident in their apporoach to learning. Our child is now happier in all aspects of life. We have noticed an improvement in eyesight, reading, reading comprehension, spelling, writing and maths at school. We are very grateful to Maria for her expert teaching, sensitivity and patience in guiding our child through the eye exercises and written work in the program. It was positive experience for our family, which has resulted in our child using the strategies learned to approach learning at school with the knowledge that they can do it.

Luisa March 19, 2018

Mr

Really great to work with. no problems are to big or little can work with any age group

Really great to work with. no problems are to big or little can work with any age group

Blake March 1, 2018

Closing the gap

Our son Hamish attended the clinic one year ago, in year 5 at primary school. Our original referral came from a team mates parents who had similar issues with their son. Without question it has been one of the best decisions my wife and I have made. Hamish’s grades have gone from a low D in…

Our son Hamish attended the clinic one year ago, in year 5 at primary school. Our original referral came from a team mates parents who had similar issues with their son. Without question it has been one of the best decisions my wife and I have made. Hamish’s grades have gone from a low D in English to a mid to high C. His maths improved as he was able to read and comprehend the questions moving from a D to the possibility of a B by the end of this year. Three other subjects have jumped up a mark as his confidence and ability grew during and following the course. He is closing the gap between his potential and ability. Please don’t misunderstand us it’s been a consistent effort to get this far with more to come, but the fact is he would never have made these gains if it wasn’t for Vanessa and Maria correcting Hamish’s eye problems and giving us the tools to progress. My wife and I are quite confident Hamish can enter high school without being at an academic or confidence disadvantage. I would like to extend a big thank you to the team and encourage anyone to invest the time to see if the program can help their child. Kind Regards Michael Seager

Michael September 2016 September 14, 2016

Thank you

My daughter attended therapy at the Moss Vale Clinic and I can’t speak highly enough of the program. Throughout the program we noticed a significant improvement in her school work, even the teachers at school comment on the improvement and the new found confidence she had towards her work. The other great aspect of the program…

My daughter attended therapy at the Moss Vale Clinic and I can’t speak highly enough of the program. Throughout the program we noticed a significant improvement in her school work, even the teachers at school comment on the improvement and the new found confidence she had towards her work. The other great aspect of the program is as a parent you also get to learn a lot of techniques to assist with your child\’s learning. When attending the sessions you never feel rushed or hurried and are always given opportunity to discuss progress. I am so pleased I found out about this program through a friend. Thanks Maria for all your support you are wonderful .

Jane Jan 2016 January 30, 2016

Letter from Tracey (Perth, WA)

A huge thank you to Kelly-Jo, your professionalism, but most of all your kindness towards my daughter was immense. I was amazed to find she had an eye defect and your guidance to correct this has put her on the right road. It was a very intense 10 day program but all so worth it as…

A huge thank you to Kelly-Jo, your professionalism, but most of all your kindness towards my daughter was immense. I was amazed to find she had an eye defect and your guidance to correct this has put her on the right road. It was a very intense 10 day program but all so worth it as she has seen a difference and is amazed herself how she is being able to achieve bettter results in subjects at school where she has struggled with for so long. She was over the moon that she got an A+ in music, because she said she felt that she could actually remember the music for a test. She has a long way to go because of her history of dyslexia and dyscalculia but we are progressing with much more confidence and all due credit to her on how she applies herself at school and how this treatment has provided so much. Highly recommend.

Tracey 20/01/2016 January 20, 2016

Letter to the Alison Lawson Clinic

Although words cannot express how grateful I am, I would like to say a big thank-you to both Maria and Mrs. Lawson for their dedication and professionalism when working with my son throughout the 10 week program. I have been a teacher for 16 years and have been ‘trained’ to teach young children how to read,…

Although words cannot express how grateful I am, I would like to say a big thank-you to both Maria and Mrs. Lawson for their dedication and professionalism when working with my son throughout the 10 week program. I have been a teacher for 16 years and have been ‘trained’ to teach young children how to read, write and decode language. When my beautiful son started school in 2014, I began to notice that he struggled to retain his sounds, simple sight words and found reading difficult. His teacher spoke with me and she too had noticed some ‘odd’ behaviours. She made the comment ‘I am baffled’. I began my journey with my son to find out what was happening and how I could assist him. I took him for a full language assessment. He was able to perform all these assessments with ease. The assessor also used the word ‘baffled’. He then went for some OT sessions, which he was referred off as, the OT felt he was fine, again I heard the word ‘baffling’. He went to the Children’s Hospital to get his hearing checked, it came back with some minimal hearing loss but the report stated it would not affect his hearing of sounds. I then found a behavioural optometrist, who prescribed glasses to help him focus when reading, although his vision was within the normal range. We also experimented with coloured lenses, to no avail. Although he did meet the benchmarks for Kindergarten, his self-esteem was beginning to plummet and as Year One began he became more and more aware that he struggled and couldn’t remember words, even if they were repeated through a book. He didn’t want to read at home, hated completing any written task and would constantly say things like, ‘I’m dumb, I’m stupid, everyone else is moving up and I’m not’. It broke my heart. As an educator, my own feelings of inadequacy began to surface. I mean, I am an experienced teacher, who has always keep up to date with literacy techniques and could not even help my own child. The breaking point came when his Year One teacher called me in for a meeting. She expressed her concerns about his progress and felt that ‘something was just not clicking’. I walked away and felt that term ‘baffled’ creeping into my mind again. I researched everything I could on dyslexia (although he has never been officially diagnosed), along with anything else I could read about struggling readers and retaining information. I looked up places I could contact. I rang brain phsychologists, behavioural physchologists, universities and the list goes on. Everyone I spoke with told me that ‘early intervention was the key to his successes, but not one of those professionals could tell me, help me or even point me in the right direction to where to access help for my son. I booked another optometrist appointment and discussed all these issues. I felt I just wanted someone to listen, to understand that there are children that don’t fit the ‘mould’ and my frustration at not being able to access help for my son. He gave me a pamphlet on the Alison Lawson Clinic-LASD. I took this home and read it. I then made a phone call and spoke to Maria, who answered all my questions and suggested I bring my son up to Moss Vale for an assessment. With nothing else to lose, I did. After the assessment, I was told the 10 week program would be able to help my son. If I am completely honest, I was sceptical, as I had hit so many brick-walls on my quest to help him. We organised our sessions and my husband and I decided that if we were going to do this, 100% commitment was what we would do. So our Moss Vale journey began! I watched week after week as Maria and Mrs. Lawson work with my son. We completed tasks at home each and every-day, even weekends and we worked as a team. After about 4 weeks my son’s teacher made comment that he was improving in concentration, reading and spelling. I too noticed progress, with his retention and reading. Half way through he had moved up 2 reading levels and was becoming more confident to complete tasks. I hadn’t heard him say once ‘I’m stupid’. I was so happy to see him feel better about participating in literacy tasks. The last week came around quickly and again my son went through the assessment process. He had made remarkable improvement in all areas. He felt proud and I was amazed at not only his progress but the change in him at how he viewed himself. My son had gone up 5 reading levels in 10 weeks! As a teacher this is rare! As the weeks have passed since, my son has continued making progress, going up another reading level, already reaching the end on Year One reading benchmark. He has gone from struggling to write a sentence, to writing a page, using a number of spelling skills to help him. He is now reading simple chapter books, enjoys snuggling up and reading each night. We now have a confident, happy child, whose whole attitude toward school and literacy tasks is positive! I am so proud of him and his commitment to this, as he worked with us (even on weekends) to improve! I have also learnt so much about myself, my teaching and children through my son, this program and these committed professionals, whose sole purpose is to help children who are not fitting the ‘mould’. They worked with him and with me tirelessly and celebrated his successes with us. I recommend the Alison Lawson Clinic to anyone! They are fabulous!

August 12, 2015

Letter from Elizabeth Van-Lane – Sydney

Alison Lawson has treated three of my children – Cameron aged 14, Thomas aged 17 and Gretel aged 19 – for Dyslexia. Each has had trouble throughout their schooling and only recently was given a reason for such difficulties. Such a crippling disability has affected many areas of their lives including school grades and confidence. Over…

Alison Lawson has treated three of my children – Cameron aged 14, Thomas aged 17 and Gretel aged 19 – for Dyslexia. Each has had trouble throughout their schooling and only recently was given a reason for such difficulties. Such a crippling disability has affected many areas of their lives including school grades and confidence. Over 10 sessions each of my children were pushed visually and mentally to achieve what was said to be impossible – to be cured of dyslexia. Since their treatment all have shown remarkable improvement academically and in other areas. Camerons’ grades and reading have improved. He has been promoted from playing back in soccer to a striker due to his improved shooting. Other sports such as ice hockey have also benefited. Thomas is also now an avid reader and even reads on the way to school. He is now entering his final year of school and is more confident with his schoolwork and has marks to show for it. I used to buy the boys books but now they want to shop for themselves. Gretel has found her concentration and understanding has improved as she enters into her first year of University. Her reading has also improved in speed and accuracy. On a personal level, Mrs Lawson treated my children with dignity and helped them regain their self-confidence. All areas affected by dyslexia were dealt with for long-term results. For this, I thank her and highly recommend her treatment to any child or adult with dyslexia.

August 12, 2015

Mother of Olivia (age 17) QLD

Having attained the age of 17 years Olivia’s dyslexia had gone undetected despite numerous visits to the Optometrist for eye tests as a result of ongoing headaches. Finally I made contact with ALCQ and met Louisa who immediately diagnosed Olivia with Visual Dyslexia. Following 10 treatment sessions, the difference was amazing. Olivia became more organised, more articulate,…

Having attained the age of 17 years Olivia’s dyslexia had gone undetected despite numerous visits to the Optometrist for eye tests as a result of ongoing headaches. Finally I made contact with ALCQ and met Louisa who immediately diagnosed Olivia with Visual Dyslexia. Following 10 treatment sessions, the difference was amazing. Olivia became more organised, more articulate, enjoyed and read 4 books within a week and read out loud. Olivia’s self confidence came back along with a huge improvement in her concentration and memory skills; which will significantly assist her in her final school year. Many thanks to the support from Louisa.

August 12, 2015

Thank you from Paul and Michelle

Our sincere thanks for all you have done for Emily. Not only Emily, but for us, you have taken a huge burden from us. We are so confident now that Emily will move onwards and upwards.

Our sincere thanks for all you have done for Emily. Not only Emily, but for us, you have taken a huge burden from us. We are so confident now that Emily will move onwards and upwards.

August 12, 2015

A letter from Mel, mother of 9yr old Heather

Our daughter was struggling with her reading and spelling, to the point that we were desperate for an intervention. The Alison Lawson Clinic was recommended via word of mouth and we made an appointment to see if our daughter indeed had dyslexia. After the 10 appointments of following the eye treatment the difference was profound. The…

Our daughter was struggling with her reading and spelling, to the point that we were desperate for an intervention. The Alison Lawson Clinic was recommended via word of mouth and we made an appointment to see if our daughter indeed had dyslexia. After the 10 appointments of following the eye treatment the difference was profound. The changes exceeded our expectations. Our daughter is proud of her achievements, feels less stressed and finds it easier to engage in tasks. Her focus is substantially improved, her angst and frustration has diminished and she has even learnt to tell the time! I recommend the Alison Lawson Clinic whole heartedly. Maria is patient, generous and really speaks to children with respect and encouragement.

Mel July 12, 2015

Amy’s Story

I went through most of my schooling absolutely hating reading and writing and anything that involved either one (which is pretty much everything at school) I would do anything to avoid reading. I forgot to bring my books, couldn’t remember where they were, ‘lost’ quite a few. I did well in most areas of school, so…

I went through most of my schooling absolutely hating reading and writing and anything that involved either one (which is pretty much everything at school) I would do anything to avoid reading. I forgot to bring my books, couldn’t remember where they were, ‘lost’ quite a few. I did well in most areas of school, so most of my teachers just thought I was lazy; which was fine by me. I played up to it because it was better than them thinking I was dumb. It wasn’t until I was in year 11 that my Mum heard about the Alison Lawson Clinic. The description sounded just like me, trouble reading (I just didn’t), awful speller (nothing seemed to work), clumsy (if there was something to trip over, I tripped over it), bad hand-eye coordination (could never quite catch anything) and the list went on. She convinced me to go and get tested. I was exceptionally reluctant, but thought, hey it’s a day off school and it might make her stop bugging me. It turned out I had dyslexia, which again worked well for me; now I had something to blame my laziness on. Much to my Mum’s disgust I flatly refused to have the treatment. At the time the clinic was in Moss Vale and I pretty much couldn’t be bothered. I didn’t want to have to miss out on stuff at school and just assumed that I was too old for it. After a lot of persuasion and a little bit of bribery Mum managed to convince me that I should at least give it a shot. So, in very bad humour I started going once a week up to Moss Vale. About half way through the treatment, we were driving home and I suddenly noticed the clouds. They looked like they were sticking out of the sky, like I could actually reach out and grab them. I’d never seen anything like it. I pointed them out to Mum and she looked at me like I was insane, they didn’t look any different to her. Because my depth perception was improving I was finally able to see things in 3D. As soon as I got home I thought I’d test this theory and got out a magic eye book. I’d never been able to do them before and was secretly hoping that I still couldn’t, so that I could tell Mum that in fact nothing had changed and she was wrong. But my hopes were dashed when I saw a unicorn pop out of the page. I now go to Melbourne Uni and am finishing my Primary Education degree with honors at the end of this year. I’m nowhere near as clumsy as I used to be, I trip over a lot less, and really enjoy playing ball sports, maybe that’s because I can catch now. I love reading (who would have thought?), and I can actually concentrate in lectures because I can follow the PowerPoints. Now that the words and letters stay in the one place, doing all the reading for uni isn’t that bad and it doesn’t take me as long as it would have a few years ago. I used to hate neon lights; it was always a struggle to know what they said, but not any longer. When I’m really tired I do still have a few issues with focusing my eyes, and I can tell they start to go off (I go a bit cross eyed), but the fact that I can even notice that happening is pretty impressive.

Amy July 12, 2015

A letter from Susan E. Dorsen

Dear Mrs Lawson I am writing to say how much we have appreciated your work as an Orthoptist in connection with our son, Simon. As you know, he has been suffering from dyslexia all of his life, with reading, sequencing and writing disabilities. Needless to say, this has also affected his level of comprehension. Before we…

Dear Mrs Lawson I am writing to say how much we have appreciated your work as an Orthoptist in connection with our son, Simon. As you know, he has been suffering from dyslexia all of his life, with reading, sequencing and writing disabilities. Needless to say, this has also affected his level of comprehension. Before we heard of you from a friend, we did not know what an Orthoptist was nor of the developments which are in practice to help people like our son. It is a tragedy your profession keeps such a low profile knowing that some 10-20 per cent of the population suffers from varying degrees of dyslexia and associated reading problems. After only seven sessions you have performed a miracle! Simon is now able to read better and faster, his school subjects in Year 10 are improving, especially a noticeable difference in Maths. As you know, he is a keen basketball player and even his shooting and court vision are noticeably better. All of this augers well as he is about to take on Year 11 and 12 and the HSC. His confidence has increased and he can now look forward to a more positive future knowing his eyesight and connecting brain function have been corrected. Thank you so much for your encouragement – your dedication is a credit to your profession.

June 3, 2015

A letter from Dr Roger Jones

To Whom it may concern A brief letter of recommendation regarding Mrs Lawson and her treatment especially of children with reading and visual difficulties. I can highly recommend her and her treatment of children, having sent two of my children, Stephen now aged 15 and Richard aged 13 to her care. They both had severe reading…

To Whom it may concern A brief letter of recommendation regarding Mrs Lawson and her treatment especially of children with reading and visual difficulties. I can highly recommend her and her treatment of children, having sent two of my children, Stephen now aged 15 and Richard aged 13 to her care. They both had severe reading problems with ongoing learning difficulties. With her careful patience and care, advice and treatment they were given 6-10 courses of treatment and have both progressed very well and are now reading normal for their age and their consequent learning difficulties are gone. Thus in conclusion I highly recommend her both from a clinically point of view, in my work in the medical profession, and also on a personal level because of her treatment for what I consider to be quite difficult cases.

May 12, 2015

A Letter from Bianca

My daughter was referred to the Alison Lawson Centre in Canberra due to suppression and tracking issues with her eyes. Since coming, Anais has become more confident with her school work and has started reading books (from the front cover to the end) which she didn’t before. Thank you Karen for making the appointments fun for…

My daughter was referred to the Alison Lawson Centre in Canberra due to suppression and tracking issues with her eyes. Since coming, Anais has become more confident with her school work and has started reading books (from the front cover to the end) which she didn’t before. Thank you Karen for making the appointments fun for Anais and for not making the exercises she had to do at home a chore.

Bianca May 12, 2015

A letter from Julie Renshaw

Our son was 4 yrs old when I realised that something was not registering with him with regards to recognising his name in written form. I had often encouraged our son to trace his name-keeping in mind to always keep this activity fun. He had NO interest in this, or even in picking up a pencil,…

Our son was 4 yrs old when I realised that something was not registering with him with regards to recognising his name in written form. I had often encouraged our son to trace his name-keeping in mind to always keep this activity fun. He had NO interest in this, or even in picking up a pencil, to colour in, or to draw. He used the palmar grip to hold a pencil. I also noticed that he would rarely run- and was quite uncoordinated with his hands and feet. My husband had dyslexia, and I was aware that there is a genetic link through the male chromosomes. I had been ‘reassured’, when i voiced my concerns, by pre school teachers that ‘boys develop slower’- however, I instinctively knew that something was not quite right. Our son was bright, verbally well versed and emotionally loving and caring-full of cuddles and smiles. The catalyst occurred one morning when I signed our son into Preschool. A sign in book, where the children have to find their name and trace it, was opened on the table. I stood next to my son, keen to offer praise and help, when he said… “please don’t look Mummy”. This broke my heart as it highlighted the fact that our son was aware that he was having difficulty and was embarrassed about it! I had to find an answer! I persevered with finding an answer, booking into a Paediatrician. He agreed that this needs investigation. We were to see an optometrist qualified in conducting The dyslexic Determination test, a speech pathologist and an occupational therapist. The optometrist results confirmed my suspicion -visual amblyopia and dyslexia. The OT appointment unveiled delays in fine motor skills. Where to from here? I researched dyslexia and treatments, and was so impressed by what I read about the Lawson Clinic, and Alison Lawson herself an amazing pioneer of a breakthrough CURE for dyslexia. As I work within the medical profession, I was impressed by the rationale as to how the LASD device works on each layer of the visual cortex. The testimonies seemed to echo the mental space that I had been on prior to finding a diagnosis.I also appreciated the comment when I called to book our initial appointment, that if our son is not a candidate for treatment, then the treatment will not commence. In other words, when our son was classified as a candidate-there was an expectation by all that he will be cured. Our son had just turned 5 when he started treatment. The hour and a half (usually) sessions were intense,, completed with much encouragement and reassurance. Many ocular muscle exercises (which he found fun!) , along with the LASD treatment were conducted- whilst age appropriate learning material placed on LASD projector. The first visits were tiring, our son would sleep for the hour trip home. Each week, I noticed that he was gaining a certain confidence. Sidestepping at Soccerjoeys was now achievable-not so prior to treatment. Each week brought with it improvement in confidence, writing ability and willingness. Our sons visual acuity eye tests, prior to and post treatment detected a remarkable improvement. Now in year 1 at school, he is reading a average class level, and LOVES school. I cannot begin to imagine how different this would have been had he not undergone the LASD treatment and complementary program at The Lawson Clinic. My only struggle now, is trying to comprehend how such a proven and workable device as the LASD, and the program which complements it, is not utilised in our schools. As a fully qualified K-6 Teacher (prior to my career change), I witnessed many bright children, who continually presented with difficulty from a young age with reading, phonetic awareness and confidence. I feel extremely fortunate that I ‘stumbled’ across the Lawson Clinic, my goal now is to inform as many as I can of the life changing outcome that the intensive care of Maria Thomas and Alison Lawson, and the LASD have had on our precious son. I truly wish you and your child every success in treatment! There IS light at the end of the tunnel!

Julie Renshaw May 8, 2015

Mother of Laura (age 8), QLD

Improved reading. Improved attitude to homework. I can definitely see an improvement. Laura says the words are now bigger on the page. I believe that I will continue to see improvement in Laura’s work due to The Alison Lawson treatment. I am very glad that we did this – money well spent. Worth the effort and…

Improved reading. Improved attitude to homework. I can definitely see an improvement. Laura says the words are now bigger on the page. I believe that I will continue to see improvement in Laura’s work due to The Alison Lawson treatment. I am very glad that we did this – money well spent. Worth the effort and worth persevering with the homework. The investment will and has shown immediate dividends. Thanks Louisa.

April 12, 2015

Mother of Aaron – age 9 (WA)

Firstly, I would like to say how impressed I was with the programme that Aaron was guided through.  It was so comprehensive and all the support material was excellent. Kelly is an extremely patient and dedicated lady, and her brilliant use of language, explanations and strategies she used to help Aaron were fantastic.  He really misses…

Firstly, I would like to say how impressed I was with the programme that Aaron was guided through.  It was so comprehensive and all the support material was excellent. Kelly is an extremely patient and dedicated lady, and her brilliant use of language, explanations and strategies she used to help Aaron were fantastic.  He really misses his consultations. Aaron’s reading has improved hugely already and it has only been a couple of months since he finished his treatment.  He is a different child.  He comes home from school happy, singing to himself.  He is confident and engaged.  His teacher says he is more attentive in class and is putting his hand up and answering questions.  He is keeping up with his copying from the whiteboard now, this is something he really struggled with and rarely copied anything in time or correctly.  Now he is  one of the fastest in the class!  He continues to use the strategies Kelly taught us to continue to build on his  knowledge of words and spellings.  I cannot emphasise enough how this has changed our lives at home. Aaron used to be a very angry, frustrated and upset little boy.  During holidays he would improve and then as soon as school started, after a couple of weeks he would deteriorate into a very sad, angry and unpleasant person to be around.  I realise now he was so overloaded and frustrated that he couldn’t read the words properly, so his brain was getting tired.  We had his eyes tested a couple of years before and they had said he had perfect vision.  He was so good at using other strategies to compensate for his eyes being weak, that no one ever picked up that he had a problem with his left eye. Since going through the programme with Kelly, both eyes have strengthened and the problem with his left eye has gone.  Aaron explained to me, that now he can see the words properly, he understands why he found it so hard before.  But because he had always seen the letters that way, he didn’t know that there was anything wrong! I am so glad I decided to get Aaron assessed.  I think Alison Lawson is an amazing lady – what an amazing programme.  There is so much talk about dyslexia and people don’t realise there is a cure!

April 12, 2015

Thank you from Jo

Thank you so much for all you have done for Riley. Your kindness and dedication, along with an amazing service has changed his life. Thank you once again

Thank you so much for all you have done for Riley. Your kindness and dedication, along with an amazing service has changed his life.

Thank you once again

Jo April 12, 2015

Letter from Bonnie Randall

Before treatment Fletcher was on reading level zero. Since the treatment he is now on level 16! Fletcher is able to read letters and sounds. Pays more attention to detail. He is happier and more confident!

Before treatment Fletcher was on reading level zero. Since the treatment he is now on level 16! Fletcher is able to read letters and sounds. Pays more attention to detail. He is happier and more confident!

Bonnie Randall March 12, 2015

Thank you from Melissa and Andre

Thank you very much for this wonderful program and for everything you have done for Liam. It is a pleasure to see his confidence grow and improvements in many areas.

Thank you very much for this wonderful program and for everything you have done for Liam. It is a pleasure to see his confidence grow and improvements in many areas.

Melissa and Andre March 12, 2015

Thank you from Carmel & Paul

Thank you for your wonderful program. Laeticia has gained confidence and improved in her reading skills.

Thank you for your wonderful program. Laeticia has gained confidence and improved in her reading skills.

Carmel & Paul February 12, 2015

A note from Jack (11 years old)

Thank you so much for all your help, I am reading well now and I love it! Even my spelling is getting easier.

Thank you so much for all your help, I am reading well now and I love it! Even my spelling is getting easier.

Jack February 12, 2015

A letter from Sandra and Mat

We have seen a great improvement in Mat’s reading and writing and his willingness to do his homework and read his books.  His concentration levels have increased dramatically and we no longer have to argue over reading a book. Your service is wonderful.  Mathew has loved coming to the centre because he said you are both…

We have seen a great improvement in Mat’s reading and writing and his willingness to do his homework and read his books.  His concentration levels have increased dramatically and we no longer have to argue over reading a book. Your service is wonderful.  Mathew has loved coming to the centre because he said you are both very nice and really kind.  The way you speak to the children is very encouraging and supportive.  Don’t change a thing.

Sandra and Mat January 12, 2015