The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as “a specific learning disability that is neurological [brain-based] in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and / or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.”
Dyslexia symptoms can appear at any age but are most common in young children. Those with dyslexia have trouble with language, including reading (both silently and aloud), writing, and spelling. Some may have problems understanding what they hear. Dyslexia causes difficulty in school and at work, and it can contribute to low confidence and self-esteem issues, no matter the person’s age.
According to the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, dyslexia is the most common learning challenge in the United States today, affecting up to 17% of school-aged children. Dyslexia is not related to IQ—in fact, many people with dyslexia have high IQs but don’t test well.
Often, dyslexia symptoms are overlooked in the school setting because the student is labeled as disruptive or withdrawn. Through great effort, students may stay close enough to their classmates academically that no one offers dyslexia treatment or support; teachers may simply say the student isn’t trying hard enough.
As the child with dyslexia grows to adulthood, he or she is often friendly and helpful, which is one attempt to hide dyslexia. Other adults with dyslexia simply avoid reading and writing whenever possible.
Dyslexia Symptoms
If you or your child shows more than one of the following symptoms, have a dyslexia test as soon as possible.
Children younger than five years old:
- Developmental delays such as walking or talking late; difficulty with fine motor skills. May be clumsy even in familiar surroundings.
- Reluctance when speaking. Continuing baby talk longer than age two or three.
- Trouble telling a familiar story, often looking to an adult for help in finding the right words.
- Slow to pick up new concepts or ideas, such as learning numbers or colors.
- Confusion or difficulty recalling something he or she has just learned.
Children in elementary school:
- Reluctance to read or write, especially in front of others.
- Illegible handwriting that may not stay within the lines; little or no control of writing instruments.
- Difficulty reading aloud and comprehending what was read.
- Numerous spelling errors or letter reversals.
- Trouble remembering facts, even if he or she learned them a few minutes before.
High school students:
- Difficulty completing short reading or writing assignments.
- Lack of vocabulary skills and inability to recall words learned recently.
- Intense dislike of reading and writing, often going to extreme lengths to avoid or delay doing homework.
- Letter or word reversal; poor spelling.
- Trouble completing higher-level math problems, especially word problems.
Adults:
- Reliance on memory tricks instead of taking notes. Seldom forgets a face or place.
- Extreme avoidance of reading and writing.
- Highly-developed spatial skills to compensate for lack of reading and writing skills.
- Poor spelling with letter or word reversal.
- Difficulty with math; may count on fingers or use hash marks for simple problems.
Current Dyslexia Treatments
After screening and diagnosis, it’s time to consider treatment options. Most of the current dyslexia treatments focus on teaching ways to compensate for the dyslexia instead of reversing it. One of the first treatment avenues dyslexia specialists pursue is diagnosing and correcting vision problems. While this will not reverse the dyslexia, it may significantly improve symptoms.
Dyslexia specialists help children and adults use multiple senses to read and write. Trained teachers or tutors teach methodical techniques to develop word recognition and spelling skills; for example, a phonics program may help an elementary school student. These programs may not be customized to individual needs.
A school’s special education department may create an individualized education program (IEP) for students with dyslexia. If the student stays in the regular classroom, teachers may offer accommodations such as extra time on tests. Extracurricular treatments, including occupational therapy, tinted-lens glasses, and medications, may help but do not reverse the disorder.
However, Books Neural Therapy™ (BNT) can reverse dyslexia naturally by addressing brain development and correcting weaknesses throughout the system (mechanical, neurological, and emotional). With a multisensory approach and personalized treatment, Books Neural Therapy™ helps upgrade the entire nervous system.
The motto of BNT is First Things First, and dyslexia treatment begins with building a healthy foundation. As with a building, a person’s foundation needs to be built correctly—and in stages—or it won’t be able to withstand stress. After taking a thorough case history of dyslexia symptoms, a BNT practitioner will perform extensive neurological, structural, educational, and cognitive testing. Each person is unique, and the treatment takes into account strengths and weaknesses as well as goals.
The nervous system coordinates movement and brain function and is one of the first body processes BNT addresses. Gross motor skills (e.g. running and jumping) need to be in good working order BEFORE fine motor skills (e.g. handwriting) can function at their best. Finding the communication breakdowns in the circuitry (the nervous system) and then rewiring and upgrading the entire system help the child or adult operate with more ease, efficiency, and confidence.
This remarkable change happens through gentle, hands on, non-invasive treatment of various areas of the body with emphasis on the head. Working with the eyes, ears, and TMJ (jaw joint), the trained Books Neural Therapy™ practitioner improves the function and coordination of various senses. This process reverses dyslexia by providing the missing building blocks to create a solid, organized nervous system.
We learn more about proper brain-body development each year. BNT keeps up to date on advances in neuroscience and incorporates new findings into the protocol so the dyslexia treatment is as effective as possible.
Click here for more information on Books Neural Therapy™.
Sources:
National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy
The International Dyslexia Association
