Children of Dreams, Children of Hope

Raymundo Veras was a pediatrician living in Brazil. He was an associate of Glenn Doman, the founder of the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia. Doman believed that children with Down Syndrome could not be helped with his methods. Dr. Veras proved him wrong! He had many parents who wanted him to help them with their children with Down Syndrome. So he developed some methods, and taught the parents. The result was astonishing! Doman said, if you can show me one child who disproves my opinion, I will accept it. So Veras introduced Doman to a preschool age girl who could play the violin and read four languages. She had the obvious physical characteristics of Down Syndrome. This book is all about Veras' work. For more information, please see the web site devoted to Dr. Veras' work: http://www.veras.org.br/ I have a nephew with Down Syndrome. I can speak from personal experience when I say Dr. Veras is right on. My nephew had early intervention, most of which concentrated on physical development. The only intellectual stimulation above the norm he received was speech therapy and constant verbal interaction with siblings and friends. Yet, his language development surpassed that of the superior children measured by Glenn Doman. At the age of 3 1/2, his language development was equivalent to that of a five year old. I have a videotape of him having a philosophical discussion with his brother. Why do most DS children (or Veras children as I like to call them) appear to be mentally retarded? It's because they are not CURIOUS. But they can be TAUGHT to want to learn. If you teach them to learn, they WILL LEARN. This book is critically important in an age when many people think these wonderful children should be killed before they are even born. No matter what your perspective on the issue of abortion is, READ THIS BOOK!

This book is very informative and helpful in understanding a different concept on mongoloid children rather than the conventional thoughts. It is certainly very inspiring to read. The information are invaluable especially for parents of these children. It certainly give new hope for all of us.