Two positive articles about overcoming dyspraxia!

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Computer whiz Sam overcomes disability

A 17-YEAR-OLD Moreton computer genius has overcome disability to win

a place at university.

Sam Crooks, of St 's Court, suffers from dyspraxia - a condition

that hampers co-ordination - but still won a challenge to earn a

guaranteed scholarship at Birmingham University's School of Computer

Science, without having to pass any examinations.

The school challenged aspiring students to write a computer programme

giving the sum of one to the power of 40.

Sam answered this high-level computer question correctly to win the

scholarship to do a BSE in computer science at the school, although

he still intends to take his A-level exams.

His father Crooks said: " They didn't expect many people to get

it right. "

Having noticed he had difficulty with handwriting when he started

attending Chipping Campden School about six years ago, Sam's parents

took him to see his doctor who suspected it was dyspraxia and

referred him to a specialist in Cheltenham who confirmed the

diagnosis.

The condition has not prevented Sam excelling at mathematics and

science subjects, especially physics, at Campden where he passed

about nine GCSE examinations and is now a sixth former taking A-level

maths, physics and ICT, a subject dealing with practical applications

of computers. Having built a robot when he was 11 years old, Sam went

on to build computers and teach himself several computer languages.

Sam, also studio manager at North Cotswold Community Radio, hopes to

have a career in artificial intelligence and cybernetics.

Sam's father said he was proud of his son. said: " I am indeed

very pleased.

" The dyspraxia has probably been an advantage to him because he

couldn't catch a ball, which made him not very good at sports and

diverted his attention onto other things. He still can't write very

well - he holds a pencil like a knife and fork - but he has that

curiosity; he likes to know how things work. "

http://www.cotswoldjournal.co.uk/display.var.2168916.0.computer_whiz_sam_overcom\

es_disability.php

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From drop-out to MD

A MAN who was expelled from school at 14 with no qualifications but

now runs an award-winning recruitment agency was honoured by royalty

at a glittering s-style ceremony.

Twenty-nine-year-old Karl Gannon, from Maidstone, took to the stage

with Hollywood actor Spacey and The Prince of Wales as a

finalist in the Prince's Trust and RBS Celebrate Success awards at

the Leicester Square Odeon.

Mr Gannon has dyslexia and severe dyspraxia. In his 20s, he suffered

from depression and drifted in and out of low-paid jobs.

But with help from the Prince's Trust, he secured a low-interest

business loan and ongoing mentoring support. He is now managing

director of his own recruitment agency.

Mr Gannon said: " I still don't feel it's sunk in. There's times when

I just sit back and think " Hey, this is my company, this is something

I've grown. "

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/aroundkent/news.asp?village=16135 & article_id=430236

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