Although there are many other causes of emotional problems, they are often brought about by the fact that the child has already experienced so many intellectual failures that he believes himself to be inferior to other children. By helping the child to improve his reading and learning skills, and thereby to start experiencing success, such emotional problems are frequently alleviated. This is what happened to Allan.

Allan started his first school year, like most other children, with eagerness and enthusiasm. His enthusiasm, however, was short-lived, because he soon discovered that he could not learn to read and write like most of the other children.

At the beginning of Grade 2, his parents were informed that Allan would have to attend two remedial sessions per week at the school. A few months later the school arranged for an appointment for Allan at the Child Guidance Clinic. The psychologist, who tested him, came to the conclusion that Allan was behind in both reading and spelling and the remedial classes at the school continued as before. In spite of this help, Allan continued falling further and further behind.

Allan’s Grade 3 teacher recommended that he should be taken to an occupational therapist. The therapist found nothing wrong with Allan and said that therapy would not help him. Allan became more and more uncertain of himself, was sometimes very emotional and started hating school.

In Grade 4, because there was still no progress, his teacher asked his parents to take Allan to a neurologist. After an EEG was done, the doctor prescribed medication. Two years later his parents stopped the medication, because they still did not notice any improvement in either Allan’s schoolwork or his emotional condition. His work tempo was painfully slow, and he complained that he could not concentrate on his schoolwork.

In the fifth month of Grade 6 Allan’s mother started with Edublox. The improvement in Allan’s school report, within seven months, explains why she writes that he is a “different person.” (Note that intervention commenced one month before the exam of the second term):

Allan’s brother, who did Grade 9 at a technical high school, also did Edublox. His school marks also improved substantially. His average for the first term was 47.1 percent. He scored 19 percent for maths. His average for the last term was 57.2 percent, and he scored 64 percent for maths.