​Dr. Gail Saltz:

The Power of our learning & Mental 
Differences

The power of Different

        We think Dr. Gail Saltz' book, "The Power of Different" is so needed now to really propel a strength-based approach throughout our society regarding "mental illness" and learning disabilities. Such an approach truly can make all the difference.

             So this is important for:

• individuals
• parents
• teachers
• schools
• mental health professionals
• advocates
• attorneys
• anyone interested in how we might build on the "strengths" of those who are Different -- that's a lot of us                         ​

Saltz says she has talked with many experts, such as in autism, who say 20% of time should be spent working on the problem and 80% on exploring and enhancing strengths.

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"I want them to help them with workarounds for whatever the difficult issues are, and by utilizing their strength along with those workarounds, they are giving their child the opportunity to be highly successful."

Dr. Gail Saltz

CNN - excerpt

Our default, Saltz says, as a society and even for parents whose child has learning difficulties or mental health disorders, is to focus on the weakness.

"We're very invested in fixing, and we tend to be focused on the negative, whatever the negative is. Make it better so everything is good.

It's an understandable means of reacting, but it becomes so embedded, and it's not really the best path."

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/09/health/learning-disabilities-mental-health-genius-parenting/index.html