West Friendship 12-year-old travels world to learn

Twelve-year-old Julian English has brain damage as a result of being born 15 weeks before his due date. He weighed 1 pound, 15 ounces and spent almost five months in the hospital after birth.That doesn't mean he's not able to learn, says his mother, Natasha Moulton-Levy.The mother and son from West Friendship recently published a children's book, &quot;No Limits: No Boundaries! My Journey Through the ABC's,&quot; about Julian's experiences learning through travel.&quot;We need to acknowledge that there may be an issue, but an issue is not necessarily a bad thing to have,&quot; said Moulton-Levy. &quot;I want you to be able to say that, and then figure out how you can support that person who learns differently.&quot;Julian came home from the hospital with a hearing aid and other health complications, but the family was &quot;maintaining,&quot; she said.&quot;You leave the hospital and they just kind of say, 'Yeah, he's alive. That's great, this is fantastic,'&quot; said Moulton-Levy. &quot;And you're thinking, okay, he had two brain bleeds. What does that mean?&quot;When Julian started school at Triadelphia Elementary in Ellicott City, Moulton-Levy said, her son didn't understand numbers, letters, shapes or colors.The cover of No Limits: No Boundaries! My Journey Through the ABC's. The book chronicles West Friendship 12-year-old Julian English's experiences learning through travel.&quot;And I'm like, I don't understand what's going on,&quot; Moulton-Levy said. &quot;I don't understand why.&quot;During an exam with Julian's developmental pediatrician, the doctor brought out a board with nine pictures on it and asked Julian, who was 7 at the time, to point out the one that belongs in India.&quot;So Julian picks the picture that belongs in India,&quot; Moulton-Levy said. &quot;And the doctor kind of looks at him and says, 'Okay, so you're skewing my data.'&quot;Julian told the doctor, &quot;Oh, it's cold to the touch.&quot;Moulton-Levy, who has been an avid traveler since she was a child, explained that her family had traveled to India the week before, during spring break. During a tour of the Taj Mahal, a guide had explained to the family that the centuries-old tomb is made out of marble and therefore stays cool even in hot weather.At that point, Moulton-Levy said, she realized that Julian had learned something on their trip.&quot;It may not be the way we want him to learn, or the way society says he should learn, but he is learning,&quot; she said.Moulton-Levy began chronicling her son's travels across the globe, from Ireland to Kenya to Hawai'i, and to Congress and the White House, where Julian spoke as a Special Olympics athlete.&quot;The vice president said he liked my bow tie,&quot; said Julian, who competes in tennis, basketball, track and cycling.&quot;And this is how we got the book,&quot; said Moulton-Levy. &quot;It's his journey through his ABC's the way that we have done it ... through travel, through experiences, through exposure.&quot;In the book, the letter &quot;Q&quot; stands for a historic site in India.&quot;When Julian thinks about the color red, he remembers the Qila Rai Pithora [the Red Fort] in Delhi, India,&quot; Moulton-Levy writes. &quot;We took a tour in a rickshaw and rode through busy streets.&quot;&quot;I&quot; stands for Istanbul, where Julian learned that people from around the world dress differently.As a result of his travels, Julian not only has learned the alphabet, he's also able to communicate with all different kinds of people, his mother said: &quot;Differences don't bother him.&quot;Moulton-Levy, a healthcare consultant, did not publish the book to make money, she said. Nor is she suggesting that parents travel the world to help their kids learn.She just wants to start a conversation that she believes many parents are not willing to have, so that they can do what's best to support their kids.&quot;This has been 12 years, having Julian,&quot; she said. &quot;And I think that I'm okay saying, look, he has brain damage, look, he has learning disabilities, look, he has multiple health complications.&quot;That doesn't mean that he's not going to be perfect and fantastic, because he is perfect and fantastic in my mind,&quot; she said. &quot;I believe that he can do great things, and I believe he can do great things because we're trying to find different ways for him to find his greatness.&quot;For more information about Moulton-Levy and Julian's book, go to http://www.nolimitsnoboundaries.net/

West Friendship 12-year-old travels world to learn

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