LakeFront TV debuts show on learning disabilities

A new show about learning disabilities will debut Aug. 2 on LakeFront TV.

Darryl Owens, the show’s creator, describes “A World of Difference” as a newsmagazine-type program. Its purpose, he said, is to support and celebrate the journey of neurodiversity in families.

“We want ‘A World of Difference’ to be a soothing balm, if you will, to parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents and other family members who every day are walking these journeys with children, supporting them and symbiotically being cut to the quick by the bullying, snide comments and battles for accommodation,” he said.

The show will provide support, resources and inspiration through four segments with a common theme. For example, the first episode will focus on how to get students with neurodiversity issues ready for the new school year following virtual classes from home and the summer brain drain.

The opening segment profiles a family dealing with a particular issue. Then comes a panel discussion with experts, followed by an ask the experts section, where loved ones can call in via Zoom to pose questions.

“They provide actionable counsel to help parents to overcome these particular challenges,” Owens said.

The show wraps with a segment called “Difference Makers” that highlights a famous or successful individual with a learning disability who has made a difference in society. The first episode will feature Longwood Mayor Matt Morgan, who overcame attention deficit disorder to become a professional wrestler, actor and politician.

Owens — who is also the director of communications at Beacon College — came up with the idea for the show after noticing people seeking answers to neurodiversity questions in Facebook groups. Since Beacon is the first accredited baccalaureate institution in the U.S. devoted to collegians with learning differences, he thought the school could help.

“It hit me that well, this is what we do here, is we educate these students, we help them to work around their challenges,” said the 56-year-old Apopka resident. “We help them to learn ways to be successful, and so we should be able to share our expertise with the wider audience, and what better way to do that than through the digital realm through television, through social media?”

Another driving force behind the show: There has been a rise in the number of students diagnosed with learning disabilities. According to a 2017 report issued by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, one in five children in the U.S. has learning and attention issues, such as dyslexia and ADHD.

“We want the show to be a resource that helps these children on their way to finding success on their own terms,” Owens said. “And we hope that the program helps people who aren’t navigating this journey — people from classmates to employers — understand neurodiversity is another slice of diversity and that these people must be embraced for the value they bring to society and the talent and diverse perspectives they can bring to the workplace.”

“A World of Difference” will air new episodes the first Sunday of each month, with the first episode debuting 7 p.m. Aug. 2 on LakeFront TV — which reaches cable customers in Lake County and The Villages on Xfinitiy channel 22 and Prism 21 as well as from KissimmeeSt. Cloud to Gainesville on Spectrum 497.

The show is also available via livestream at LakeFrontTV.com or through Apple TV and Roku by downloading the free CableCast App.

If you miss the program Sunday evening, it will also be available the Monday after each episode airs on Beacon College’s “A World of Difference,” YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.