Realtors from Park Cities / North Dallas MLS learned about learning differences on March 27^th at their biannual meeting held at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church. 

Agents walked a mile in the shoes of a student with learning differences through a program called Simulations of Learning Differences presented by Shelton School  Executive Director Suzanne Stell, Head of School Linda Kneese, and Scholars Coordinator John Hodges.  The simulation exercises exposed attendees to what might be experience by persons with dyslexia, auditory discrimination issues, and dysgraphia.

“With one out of seven persons having some type of a learning difference, it’s important to know how to help with educational remediation,” says Suzanne Stell.  “You can’t cure dyslexia,” says Stell, “but you can certainly spot it at an early age and learn the best practices for treating it educationally.” 

Many highly successful people have a learning difference, e.g. Richard Branson or Whoopi Goldberg.  “At Shelton, we recognize the intelligence of many people with learning differences,” says Linda Kneese. “They often think outside the box and are highly creative, not despite a learning difference, but sometimes even as a direct result of it.”

Realtors often assist clients with relocation, whether local or from afar, and finding a good school for a child is often a key factor when looking for a home.  Realtors know their neighborhoods, and it’s good for them to know schools as well.  Since 1976, Shelton has been helping students with learning differences, and some families have relocated to the Metroplex expressly for their students to attend the school.

On hand for the simulations program were realtors Keith Conlon and Callan Harrison, each with Allie Beth Allman and Associates, and each former Shelton students.