Richard Lavoie: How Difficult Can This Be? F.A.T. City--A Learning Disabilities Workshop (2013) DVD

I have owned this dvd/VHS over the years and have given it to many people with kids on the “fringe”. Either ADHD, LD, etc. He gives great demonstrations and involves the group, having them actually experience what kids go through. Actually a great lesson to us all to be a little more open minded towards everyone we interact with.

I like that Mr. Lavoie is able to make you feel as if you were a disabled student. Every elementary and middle school teacher should watch this in order to become a more effective teacher when it comes to students with disabilities. Understand how disabled students perceive things and what their struggles are. Learn to respect that child. You could become a turning point in his life. And by helping that child, the other children in the classroom will also look at him or her differently.

There are no words to describe how important this film is if you are a person who is dyslexic. As a woman who was tested and found to be extremely dyslexic, I couldn't understand why the world didn't get me. It was after watching this film and realizing just how different the world is, to how dyslexic people perceive things was vastly different than everyone else. As an artist, dyslexia is why I became so good in my career.This film explains how vastly different the dyslexic person experiences the world. The truth of the film is so shocking for someone who is dyslexic, that I have purchased this film over 10x and given it to people whose families dont understand why they are so different if they are extremely dyslexic. As an adult who is the CEO of a company, this film is required viewing for every employee.There have been multiples times when a new employee, after watching this film, is crying at the end of the film. They suddenly realize that someone they know is dyslexic and how wrong they were about the impressions of what the dyslexic person was doing. This film opens the window to people who are normal so that they can understand dyslexia, and how its far far more than simply switching numbers and letters.

I had the privilege of attending a F.A.T. City workshop led by Rick Lavoie some 30 years ago. Although some language is 'old school', the message is loud and clear that parents and educators need tools to make a child with learning differences feel good about themselves.

I am a parent of a child with non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD, social pragmatics communications disorder and anxiety and this video finally showed me what its' like to live in my daughter's world at school.. It was so eye-opening for me and my husband. Now I understand why she cannot answer some questions immediately as she is still processing the question. We saw first-hand what its like to have very weak visual-spatial skills and that once things are shown in a different way, they can be seen. I cannot believe this video has not been updated since the early 90's when this was filmed, however, it all still applies. Every school system should have a copy of this and mandate that all teachers view it, especially those who have students with learning disorders in their class.

Although a bit dated, this is one of the best videos to show to a GenEd staff. I have shown it to the four schools I have had the privilege to lead. The DVD has the added improvement of having chapters so that the entire video can be shown or specific areas can be viewed at different times. This is especially critical when you have to break viewing sessions apart due to time constraints. Although the entire dvd should be watched; the section on Fairness is one everyone must see. Other sections which are critical are: Experiencing Frustration, Anxiety, and Tension (F.A.T.), The Effect of Visual Perception on Behavior, and Reading Comprehension.

One of the best videos to watch if your child has learning issues at school. Watch carefully because all Mr. Lavoie does is increase the stress level and make all mistakes be the participants fault. It is one of the best examples of what happens when people are stressed out. The question then becomes - what is stressing out your child? What foundations are missing? How can we alleviate that stress? I use this video with every client. I think this video needs to be seen by every teacher in every school district in the nation. Communication is always 50% between the person you are talking to and the person who is listening. By changing our (instructor's) behavior & modifying our environment we can modify most of the stress our clients/students are experiencing. I really enjoy Richard's examples and actionable helps. I'd rate this even higher if I could.

And other members of the human race who suffer from the alphabet soup of learning spectrum disorders. I keep giving this away to people who need to understand how difficult life is sometimes. For some people, especially people with dyslexia, ALL language is foreign; and acquired language can desert under pressure. I don't have any learning disabilities, but people I know DO, and a review of this tape once in a while is very helpful in restoring the self equilibrium and balance that everyone should use in communicating and teaching other people. The exercises give a good insight into the problems of people whose learning styles do not fit easily into the classroom,,,,,work place, everyday life, and the communication problems that abound in communicating with our own species. Also, works in attempting to teach and communicate with people who do not speak your own native language.

Whether you have a child with learning difficulties, or are someone who grew up with learning issues, you will be totally blown away by this video. Show it to everyone in the family, but most importantly show it to the child concerned. It will save their self esteem, their confidence, their life!

Old video that is not enough famous. It was created to improve education level but can be useful also in the business world.

The fashion styles may be dated but the information is as powerful today as it was when this video was made. Excellent for personal and group education. Builds empathy and awareness.

Outstanding and eye-opening. Lavoie presents his material in a truly thoughtful and enjoyable manner.

everyone should watch this