Dealing with Dyslexia

To understand how dyslexia affects learning, one needs to have an understanding of what dyslexia is. Webster's defines dyslexia as "a variable often familial learning disability involving difficulties in acquiring and processing language that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing". This means that subjects with dyslexia have notable difficulties in reading, spelling and writing. Like many learning disabilities, dyslexia does not fit into a nice box; the range to which the individual is affected varies person to person. Children with dyslexia may have problems with following instructions without in-depth explanations; they may act out, to distract from the fact, they simply do not understand why they are not learning as fast as their classmates are.

The onset of dyslexia is unknown; some believe that it is a genetic disorder, and therefore present at birth. It is also believed that dyslexia occurs with neurons do not migrate to the part of the brain where they are meant to be. This goes hand in hand with another theory that a child with dyslexia processes language on the right side of the brain while language is processed on the left side of the brain. There is also an environmental cause linked to hearing problems at an early age that confuses the brain when it comes to processing letter sounds and placement, causing a deficit in letter recognition, which can lead to problems with reading comprehension. It is likely that a combination of all of the theories of the cause of dyslexia have some merit. (What Causes Dyslexia)

We will briefly look at the problems associated with dyslexia in early education. Subjects with dyslexia have difficulties with comprehending what they read; which in turn limits the amount of information that they can process. Subjects tend to skip over words or anticipate what the next word may be in a sentence, which will slow down the reading process. In spelling, common words can be misspelled and letters can appear jumbled. Dyslexic subjects can demonstrate difficulties with expressive writing and actual handwriting. (Peer 2003, p 9-10) In early education these subjects are the most focused on. Meaning, that if a child has dyslexia that is not caught early on in their learning career they are building all further knowledge on a faulty foundation from the beginning of their education. The observation of these common signs will aide in the early diagnosis of the disability.

There are outward signs of dyslexia, that can aide with diagnosis long before a child is in school and has the chance to learn how to read or write. "The earliest differences between groups were found at the ages of a few days and at 6 months in brain event-related potential responses to speech sounds and in head-turn responses (at 6 months),conditioned to reflect categorical perception of speech stimuli." (Lyytinen, October 2001) By the age of two children who may have dyslexia can be identified as slow talkers because they do not speak at all yet, or merely show a deficiency in their vocabulary. Children up to age 5 (school age) show low scores in spelling, and oral reading, average to above average in comprehension and math, and average to poor in motor skills and handwriting. (Pickering, 2002)

Currently there is no magic cure for dyslexia, there are studies looking into alternatives for teaching children with dyslexia. Studies have shown that combining audio with video has helped to improve the reading score of these children. (Bower, 2001) The reasoning behind combining audio and visual stimuli you are forcing the children to use both sides of their brain which aides in the comprehension of the material that is the focus of the teaching. In an academic setting, if possible, students with dyslexia should be offered a different curriculum from non-dyslexic students. "Asking the 'why', 'purpose' and 'how' of oneself in relation to task fulfillment is key to an analytical mind. It is of particular value when learners have weak memories and often need to find alternative ways of retrieving information for academic success" (Peer, 2001 p 40) There are also alternative remedies and practices that are being utilized in the treatment of dyslexia. One of the problems with alternative remedies is that any group or person does not regulate them; also, they are not required to go through the rigorous testing measures like primary medical practices and medications are. Chiropractic medicine, which is considered alternative even though Chiropractors have to be state licensed and most governments require medical degrees, has been used in therapy for Dyslexia, the theory being that chiropractic focuses on putting the central nervous system back to where it is meant to be. Using the same guidelines as Chiropractic there has also been use of Physiotherapy, Yoga, and Pilates. All of these using the concept that getting the body back in balance that the mind will follow in suite and the neurons that are not communicating as they should will be given the correct neuropath ways to send and receive messages. (Chivers, 2006 p 43-46) Herbal remedies have been put into use to help children deal with dyslexia. "The basic principles of Ayurvedic treatment can be put to judicious use in treating dyslexia. Brain dysfunction, which is the root cause of this condition, can be treated using medicines, which improve the metabolism of the "Majja" dhatu in the body. Medicines useful in this condition are: Pancha-Tikta-Ghruta Guggulu, Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) and Musta (Cyperus rotundus). In addition, Ayurveda mentions a category of medicines known as "Medhya", which improve the working capacity of the brain. This category includes medicines like Mandukparni (Centella asiatica), Yashtimadhuk (Glycerrhiza glabra), Guduchi, Padma (Nelumbo nucifera), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Vacha (Acorus calamus) and Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis). (Mundewadi)

For most children who have dyslexia it is something that they will have to deal with for the entirety of their lives. Dyslexia is not something that can be outgrown; but the symptoms can become less obvious over time. When the cause of dyslexia is discovered, there will still not be one way to cope with the disability. The development of remedies will continue to grow as long as dyslexia is diagnosed disability.

References

Bower, B. (2001, September 8). Audiovisual aids may lessen dyslexia. Science News, 160(10), 155. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database

Chivers, M. (2006). Dyslexia And Alternative Therapies. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Dyslexia - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Dyslexia

Lyytinen, H. A. (October 2001). Developmental Pathways of Children With and Without

Familial Risk for Dyslexia During the First Years of Life. Developmental Neuropsychology , 535-554.

Mundewadi, A. (n.d.). Dyslexia - Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Dyslexia---Ayurvedic-Herbal-Treatment&id=1579039

Peer, L. (2003). Introduction to Dyslexia. London: David Fulton Publish.

Pickering, J. (2002, Summer2002). Signals of Learning Disabilities at Various Developmental Stages.

Montessori Life, 14(3), 46-48. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from Education Research Complete database

What Causes Dyslexia? Adult Dyslexia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2009, from http://www.the-dyslexia-center.com/what-causes-dyslexia.htm