Overcoming a "Minimal Brain Dysfunction"

Only a few days ago he attended his ten-year high school reunion. Involuntarily this brought back memories of his extreme battle with the written word, of how he completely overcame his problem in one year, enabling him to become an architect. This is the story of Werner Louw:

Because his IQ was tested at 148 the Louw parents found it strange that their son Werner would battle at school. And battle he did. The written word remained a closed book to him. He attended third grade in a remedial class for two years, after which he was placed in a school for learning-disabled children, repeating third grade for the third time. His condition was diagnosed as “minimal brain dysfunction.”

Although his parents went from pillar to post to try and solve his reading problem, nothing seemed to help. As he grew older, a sense of inferiority took hold and he had to receive treatment for depression. “I didn't know what to do, which way to turn. Nothing we did seemed to help his problem,” said his mother Nellie Louw. It was therefore with great skepticism that the Louw parents embarked on the Audiblox program in March 1990.

Before Werner started with Audiblox — at the time he was in tenth grade — his reading efficiency was assessed at the Technikon Pretoria by means of an ophthalmograph or eye-camera. It was found to be equal to that of a second-grade child. This meant that his reading ability was about ten years behind his chronological age. His eyes fixated 164 times and regressed 36 times with every one hundred words of reading. His reading speed was only 107 words per minute.

Five months later, after working faithfully according to a customized Audiblox program for two half-hour sessions per day, five days per week, Werner's reading efficiency was retested. It then equaled a ninth-grade level. The number of fixations dropped to 37 and regressions to three. His reading speed was now 163 words per minute.

Werner Louw — 1991

Six months after this second reading test, Werner's reading efficiency was tested once again and found to be equal to a second-year college level. His eyes now fixated only 37 times in one hundred words. The number of regressions, already low, remained the same. He could now read 230 words per minute. This means that, in less than one year, Werner's reading efficiency level improved by twelve years.

There is no doubt that Audiblox was the turning point in Werner's life. After school he studied architecture on a full-time basis.

Werner's life could not have been better. Besides being very successful in his career he is happily married. His son recently turned one.

And Mrs. Nellie Louw? Well, her only concern is that her grandson should start with Audiblox as soon as possible!

Werner Louw, his sister, wife and son — 2002