Introduction
Reversing Dyslexia proposes that the story of your child’s life can indeed have a happy ending. Dyslexia may be reversible. The label may not have to be a permanent part of your child’s identity, not etched forever in the very fabric of his or her soul.And when the dyslexia is lifted, many of the accompanying issues such as poor organization, poor time management, and self esteem issues may be lessened as well.
I say this with confidence because I’ve watched it happen over and over. I’ve watched kids, who once hated reading, devour books once the obstacles from their dyslexia were removed. I’ve read the notes from their soccer and football coaches saying how much their sports have improved. I’ve received phone calls years later from parents so grateful that their kids didn’t end up in jail, on drugs or even institutionalized – parents who were close to giving up, not knowing where to turn, who or what to believe.
Throughout my quarter of a century as an educator, chiropractor, and nutritionist, I have worked with thousands of children in many countries and taught to health-care providers on three continents. I’ve seen dyslexic children go back into mainstream classes, achieve college degrees and fulfilling careers. I believe dyslexia is reversible because I’ve witnessed it over and over and over.
What does it take to undo the current problems your child may be facing?
First of all, it takes a new way of thinking. You have to believe change is possible.
I know you don’t want to get your hopes up. You’ve been disappointed so many times.
That’s why I wrote this book – to present new information in a logical, step-by-step, practical way so you can see for yourself that change is possible; and why you need not give in or give up on your child.
Reversing Dyslexia begins by redefining dyslexia, offering the most comprehensive view of this problem yet. It sets up the framework for figuring out just what is going on with your child, where the problem originated and the limitations of “old style” thinking about dyslexia. Together, we’ll walk through the historical maze of dyslexia, seeing how it was first discovered and how it is defined nowadays. What dyslexia is and what dyslexia isn’t as well as other issues, such as ADHD, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, autism spectrum disorders and emotional side effects such as anxiety, self esteem issues, depression, anger and aggression issues will be addressed. The various theories about causes, as well as often overlooked “bigger picture” reasons for dyslexia, and the pros and cons of labeling, will be toured as well as a discussion of how we may have been looking for answers in the wrong places.
It goes on to explain how the brain develops, revealing how an improperly functioning brain may be rewired and repaired through the right combination of therapies, all of which are described in detail. Once you understand how we learn, you’ll see why it is possible for dyslexia to be reversed. Brain research is the hot topic nowadays, and what research is showing us will show you why it’s possible for dyslexia to be reversed. And new science is showing us how your family history of dyslexia doesn’t mean you have to suffer from it as well.
You’ll learn why a lot of previously controversial approaches are now becoming scientifically validated. And you’ll learn why some of the “tried and true” methods, which at best only compensate, don’t help at the cause level and therefore keep the problem alive.
Lastly, the book discusses what you can do at home to help your child and how important nutrition, exercise, play and music are to learning ability, and concludes with invaluable advice on how to choose the right school for your dyslexic child.
I hope you’ll consider me as your partner. Sometimes it seems too much for one person to do – to handle the issues with the school system and the challenges of bringing up a child with learning differences. As a parent myself, I want to empower you to do whatever you can to ensure that your child is not stuck with the label of dyslexia any longer than he or she has to.
Now, please join me on a journey of discovery about the truth behind this label of dyslexia and how its effects can be reversed for your child.
Preface
Peek under the cover
Book Preface: “I embrace the beautiful but tattered souls of my young patients every day as we do our reading, writing, marching, and physical activities together. Dyslexic children come to me with broken hearts, lacking confidence and wondering if they will ever be able to learn like other kids. Most of these children are burdened by a sense of shame, wilting from the fear of disappointing their parents, their teachers, and themselves. Dyslexia keeps them down, their talents trapped beneath a mountain of humiliation.
The label of dyslexia can become a painful cloak to wear day in and day out. It can kill a child’s motivation and creativity. Watching a child’s innocence and joy be replaced by hesitation, embarrassment, and defeat breaks a parent’s heart. Parents don’t want to fail or give up on their children. Doing so would go against the deepest parental instinct, which is to nourish and protect the young.
I understand firsthand how the spirit of a child can be crushed by a learning disorder. Thankfully I also know the incredibly freeing and empowering experience of watching a child overcome such obstacles–the feeling that says, “I did this! Today I am king of the mountain. I really am in charge of my life and I really can create the life I want. What else have I been told is impossible but really isn’t?” My desire to bring this experience to others led me to write this book.
I wrote this book to dispel the myth that dyslexia is permanent. The idea that learning disorders are unchangeable is simply untrue, and it harms children. It affects relationships and families, and undermines productivity and the ability to make a living. As a society of taxpayers, we are all paying the price of this mistaken idea in one way or another. I also wrote this book to open minds to a new way of looking at dyslexia, to create empowered advocates for dyslexic kids, and to make sure individuals get the help they need to dismantle the problem of dyslexia for good. Most of all, I wrote this book to help free the human spirit–the spirit that still lives in every dyslexic person and begs to be unchained.”
Foreword
The foreword is written by author, Fred Pescatore, M.D, MPH, CCN
It is with great pleasure that I was asked to write the forward to such an important work as: Reversing Dyslexia: Improving Learning and Behavior without Drugs. As a physician who practices integrative medicine, I am often called upon to tackle the hardest cases – the ones where all the other doctors have failed. Dyslexia and other learning behaviors all too sadly fit into that category. And I have to ask myself why?
In my opinion, dyslexia is not an incurable disease. The same holds true for Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or autism – and other neurological syndromes that are written off by mainstream medicine as something the patient and the patient’s family are going to have to live with the rest of their lives without any hope for improvement. It’s just not true.
There have been several books and many theories as to why autism is on the rise and how to help your child when everyone else has lost hope and given up or told you to just put your child into an institution. However, there has not been a good text on dyslexia until now. Dr. Books does an amazing job teaching us that dyslexia is not forever. While sparing us a lot of the complicated science, Dr. Books opens us up to the reality, not a science fiction notion, that our brains never stop learning or changing. Because of that, it is possible to rewire the neural pathways in our brain to help with the fight against dyslexia.
Yet, this simple reality, is ignored by traditional educational systems (i.e., medical schools) and the pharmaceutical model of American medicine. That’s why so many people are turning away from the traditional mainstream medical approach for anything but the simplest illness. Traditional medical doctors and practitioners are just not able to grasp the simple facts that there are things that can help even the most dire situations. People no longer wish to remain hopeless. There are natural ways of healing many things, including the brain and the nervous system; therefore, dyslexia can be changed at the cause level.
The promise of this book, and really the premise when it comes right down to it, is that it is meant to teach all of us that dyslexia is reversible. By doing that, Reversing Dyslexia: Improving Learning and Behavior without Drugs is a breakthrough. Dyslexia is not simply having difficulty with reading and writing. It is a disorder that permeates the child’s or the adult’s, entire life – from poor organizational skills to behavior and attitude problems. Through the program outlined by Dr. Books, it is possible to change the entire life of someone labeled a “dyslexic.”
I am not a very big fan of labels for anything. From food labels which diabolically mislead the consumer to labeling a person as a “cancer” patient; or someone who suffers from “chronic fatigue syndrome,” once that label sticks, it is hard to remove it. The glue becomes a defense mechanism of its own and dis-empowers the person from trying to change. Modern medicine does nothing to allow patients to take power or control of their illness or life. They want to tell you what to do and, if you don’t do what they want you to do, it’s quite simple to them, you are doing the wrong thing. It is a very sad commentary on what used to be the best health care system in the world.
Dr. Books and I share a credential – that of a Certified Clinical Nutritionist or CCN. Having that degree has given us the advantage over other healthcare practitioners because we have learned that nutrition, what you eat, is critically important to your health outcome. We have learned to use nutrition and nutritional supplements to fortify our bodies against insults and to right the body when something has gone wrong. In this situation, we are discussing the dyslexia syndrome. Dr. Books discusses diet and exercise as other key players in reorganizing your nervous system.
When a healer follows the natural order of the body and looks at the molecular levels and down to the DNA, it is only then that true healing can take place. Our bodies don’t want to be ill and, given the right encouragement, can repair a lot. Reversing Dyslexia: Improving Learning and Behavior without Drugs goes a long way in leading us on that journey. I learned a lot reading this book and so will you.
“Dr Books courageously leads the reader on a journey that challenges and expands our concepts of traditional medicine – a journey of hope and perseverance. Parents, educators, physicians, health care providers, individuals and families dealing with dyslexia, this labor of love is written for us! She weaves scientifically-based, integrative wisdom with heart, humor and determination to work with the root causes rather than the symptoms.”
Joyce Beck, ACSW, LMSW-ACS, co-founder of the Crossings
Reviews
Reversing Dyslexia: Improving Learning and Behavior without Drugs
Phyllis Books. Square One (www.squareonepublishers.com), $16.95 trade paper (192) ISBN 978-0-7570-0378-3
Publishers WeeklyOperating from the standpoint that it is possible to “rewire the neural pathways of the brain” in order to eliminate dyslexia, Dr. Books has established a positive, nature-based manual for those who do not accept merely compensating for the learning disorder as a solution. She delves into specific symptoms, showcasing the surprising breadth of this learning difficulty, then going on to delineate how the weight of such symptoms can affect a child’s self-image and emotional health. In focusing on the physical composure of the brain, she offers numerous hints—restrict television for those under the age of eight, for instance—to prevent learning difficulties from ever gaining a foothold. After a great deal of necessary overview, Dr. Books summarizes particular therapies that can help rewire the brain in order to, as the title suggests, actually reverse dyslexia. These include neurofeedback, Interactive Metronome, and Educational Kinesiology in addition the author’s own Books Neural Therapy. While this book will not equip caregivers or educators to single-handedly undo dyslexia, it does provide a solid blueprint, encompassing suggestions for how to find the right therapist(s) and an at-home therapeutic outline that relies on proper nutrition and the integration of physical play and music into a child’s routine. (Sept.)
Reviewed on: 09/16/2013
Release date: 05/01/2013
“Reversing Dyslexia is the best investment you will ever make as a parent, educator or therapist of a child with dyslexia. This WILL be life-changing for you and your child! All parents can now experience real hope that their child’s diagnosis of dyslexia can be reversed. This book addresses the neurological root of the problem and may even allow you to eliminate time-consuming, frustrating and costly remedial measures. This is the future of dyslexia intervention.” – Ellen Adams, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Book REVERSING DYSLEXIA by Phyllis Books, MA, DC, CCN
Dr. Books redefines dyslexia and shows how new science is backing up her long-held experience that dyslexia can be reversed.
