The Glenn Doman Assumption.

Glenn Doman is the originator of a method of teaching children at a very early age. He has many enthusiastic followers, around the world, who rave about his methods. However, according to a Wikipedia article that references him, the scientific support isn't really there, for his approach.

Anyway, that is besides the point. What moves me to write, today, is that, ever since Ainan emerged into the public eye, I have seen people refer to him as a "Glenn Doman" child. They state, without any knowledge or evidence, that Ainan is the product of the Glenn Doman method. He is not. It is an absolute lie to say that he is. We have had nothing to do with the Glenn Doman method and, indeed, know very little about it.

When Ainan was four months old, a salesman for a child development company came to our house, selling the Glenn Doman method as an intervention. He observed: "You have a super baby". Our response? "How do you know?". I suppose he might have picked up on the fact that the baby was crawling at four months. We, however, thought Ainan was perfectly normal, being, as we were, first time parents.

We sent him on his way - and did NOT buy anything from him. That was the first, last and only time we have had contact with Glenn Doman's representatives.

Personally, I find it annoying to see Ainan's name used by promoters of the Glenn Doman method. There are many sites linking to my website that list our blog under "Glenn Doman related sites". Well, this is NOT a Glenn Doman related site. We have never had anything to do with Glenn Doman and have no interest in having anything to do with him or his methods. Indeed, I think it is immoral, unethical and misleading of the Glenn Doman promoters to state that Ainan is a product of a method we have never used and have never had any access to or interest in.

So, let me state it clearly: following the Glenn Doman method will not make your child into an Ainan. The reason for this is simple: Ainan was not made in that way. He emerged, quite naturally, and became the way he is, without any commercial programme or intervention of any kind.

Don't be fooled, therefore. If you are being sold a Glenn Doman programme on the basis that Ainan is supposedly a product of it, just don't buy it. Ainan has never been exposed to the Glenn Doman method. You cannot expect, therefore, to invest your child with Ainan's qualities, using a programme that played no part in his development.

I am left to wonder whether all the links we have seen from Glenn Doman related sites are a commercial policy of the Glenn Doman organization. If anyone knows anything about this, please comment below. Thank you.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.htmlI also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

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The miraculous power of selective memory.

Memory often has a miraculous power: that of being selective. Sometimes it reveals things to us, sometimes it hides them from us.

A few months ago, I was speaking to an American man of similar age to myself. He had journeyed across the world to Singapore from Chicago, for the love of a woman and was now father to her child. His son was the same age as my eldest, so, in a way, I felt an echo of my own tale, in his.

"Will you ever return to the US?" I asked him, one day.

"Oh yes. Sure!", his lips everted strongly and there was a certain determination in his features.

"In fact, I think I made a mistake in staying here.", he went on, his lips pursing as his tongue fell silent, his brow furrowing.

"What about the gun problem, though? You don't have that here.", I said, my eyes sweeping the room to indicate Singapore as a whole.

"Guns?", he snorted, "Oh I have never had any trouble with guns, in the US." He seemed defensive, a certain pride in America rushed to fill his gestures and puff out his frame. I had clearly said something a little unacceptable. He turned to speak to another, present in the room and didn't look back at me, as he did so.

I watched and listened, quietly, not satisfied with his answer, for I had read the statistics on gun violence in the US and wasn't convinced that someone could reach middle age, in Chicago and not encounter a problem or two with guns.

The other guy present was also an American. For reasons known only to himself, but perhaps because he, too, was dissatisfied with his friend's answer, he swung the conversation back to violence in America.

The Chicago resident's answer was most revealing. "I have had guns pulled on me, twice.", he revealed to his fellow American.

I said nothing. I didn't point out the inconsistency between his defensive denial to me, that he had ever had any gun problems in America - and his admission to his fellow American that he had twice had guns pointed at him. Apparently, they had pointed them at his head. But, heh, this qualifies, when speaking to me, as "Never had any trouble with guns".

I marvelled at his essential inconsistency. He had contradicted himself within the space of ten minutes on an issue on which no-one could ever forget: that of being held up at gunpoint. To the non-American, he had never had any trouble, to the American, he had been held up twice, at gunpoint. I noted that, to me, he had defended his nation - but to his fellow American he had, perhaps, told the truth - or remembered the truth. I wonder, now, which it was: was his memory being selective, to me, when he defended his country - did he genuinely not remember the hold ups? Or was he lying to me, to defend his country? Did he suddenly remember the incidents when talking to his fellow American, perhaps because he had no need to defend the reputation of his country against a fellow citizen, for both would know the true deal?

I shall never know. However, I shall also not forget the lesson of apparently selective memory he taught me. His life was one thing to one person, one thing to another. His nation was one thing to one person, one thing to another. With such a one, I think one would have to observe him in many different situations to have a chance in getting at the truth of things. Then again, which tale would be the truth? He would be selective to each listener, depending on whom that listener was.

I am glad I said nothing, for that allowed me to continue to observe him, whenever I encountered him. Had I pointed out the contradiction, no doubt he would have altered his manner in front of me. Perhaps, in fact, he would have become actively hostile had I pointed out his own self-contradiction. Often, it is better just to listen, and not to speak one's mind: more is learnt that way and fewer friends are lost. Nevertheless it is funny what might be observed if you simply allow people to be themselves in company for a while. Sometimes, you even learn the truth.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

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