Dyslexia & Homeopathy
Does your child have learning disabilities? Then you should know about dyslexia.
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities and is characterized by difficulty with learning to read fluently and with accurate comprehension despite normal intelligence. The word dyslexia comes from Greek word “dys” means ill or difficult and “lexis” word used to describe a specific disturbance of reading in the absence of pathological conditions, these are often associated with CNS disorder.
Children with dyslexia have difficulty in learning to read despite traditional instruction, at least average intelligence, and an adequate opportunity to learn. It is caused by impairment in the brain’s ability to translate images received from the eyes or ears into understandable language. It does not result from vision or hearing problems. It is not due to mental retardation, brain damage, or a lack of intelligence.
Dyslexia can go undetected in the early grades of schooling. Children can become frustrated by the difficulty in learning to read, and other problems can arise that disguise dyslexia. They may show signs of depression and low self-esteem.
Behaviour problems at home, as well as at school, often manifest. Children may become unmotivated and develop a dislike for school, and their success there may be jeopardized if the problem remains untreated.
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, dyslexia is a learning disability that can hinder a person’s ability to read, write, spell, and sometimes speak. This includes difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, and processing speed, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, language skills/verbal comprehension, and/or rapid naming. Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in children and persists throughout life. The severity of dyslexia can vary from mild to severe. The sooner dyslexia is treated, the more favourable the outcome; however, it is never too late for people with dyslexia to learn to improve their language skills.
Types of Dyslexia
There are several types of dyslexia that can affect a child’s ability to spell as well as read.
Trauma dyslexia usually occurs after some form of brain trauma or injury to the area of the brain that controls reading and writing. It is rarely seen in today’s school-age population.
A second type of dyslexia is referred to as primary dyslexia. This type of dyslexia is a dysfunction of, rather than damage to, the left side of the brain (cerebral cortex) and does not change with age. Individuals with this type are rarely able to read above a fourth-grade level and may struggle with reading, spelling, and writing as adults. Primary dyslexia is passed in family lines through their genes (hereditary). It is found more often in boys than in girls.
A third type of dyslexia is referred to as secondary or developmental dyslexia and is felt to be caused by hormonal development during the early stages of fetal development. Developmental dyslexia diminishes as the child matures. It is also more common in boys.
Dyslexia may affect several different functions. Visual dyslexia is characterized by number and letter reversals and the inability to write symbols in the correct sequence. Auditory dyslexia involves difficulty with sounds of letters or groups of letters. The sounds are perceived as jumbled or not heard correctly. “Dysgraphia” refers to the child’s difficulty holding and controlling a pencil so that the correct markings can be made on the paper.
Symptoms of Dyslexia
Symptoms of dyslexia may vary from mild to very severe and can be broadly grouped into the following categories:
General features: The child can be very talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, designing, etc. He may have high IQ but may not score well academically. At school he may be labelled as lazy or careless due to his symptoms. The child may develop low self-esteem due to his inability to cope up with the educational system.
Reading (and spelling) Symptoms: The child is often confused by letters, numbers, words, sequences or verbal explanations. His reading or writing shows repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions, and reversals in letters, numbers and/or words. He may feel that the letters or words to be moving or jumping around on the page when he is reading or writing. He reads and rereads with little comprehension. He seems to have difficulty with vision, yet eye exams don’t reveal a problem.
Writing (motor skills) Symptoms: He has trouble with writing or copying in class. He is clumsy, uncoordinated while writing, handwriting may be illegible. He can be ambidextrous and often confuses left/right, over/under..
Hearing and Speech Symptoms: The child is easily distracted by sounds or he may hear things that have not been said.. He may face difficulty in speaking out what he is thinking (cannot put thoughts into words). He may mispronounce words (e.g. God instead of Dog), transpose words while speaking, leave sentences incomplete or take long halts during his speech Memory Symptoms: He has poor memory for facts, sequences, information that has not been experienced. His memory can be very good for things that have been experienced. In general the child can appear to be very bright and intelligent but when it comes to reading, writing & spellings, he can be very bad at these. The child learns best through, experience, observation, demonstrations, experimentation, and visual aids. He can fare well in verbal tests but may not be able to do well in written exams.
Self-Care Measures
- Help your child to be aware of their problem.
- Recognize your child’s strengths and weaknesses and be a positive force in their intellectual growth.
- Be a good reading role model, encourage discussion and reinforce reading.
- Respect and challenge your child’s natural intelligence.
- Play spelling games with your child and encourage your child to write.
- Work with your child’s teachers and have your child use alternative means at school like using flashcards, listening to books on tape, using text reading computer programs, and writing on computers.
- Trace with a finger the shape of the letters used and the words spoken.
- Give your child emotional support and motivation, which will help them build a strong self-image.
- Have your child sit in an erect posture and read aloud, this will slowly help in successful conversion of visual symbols into sound.
- Have your child listen and repeat instructions.
- Stay involved with your child’s education and help them cope with strategies as they advance in school.
Homoeopathic Management for Dyslexia*
Homoeopathic treatment is extremely effective in the cases of Dyslexia and strongly recommended along with other supportive therapies.
Homoeopathic remedies are natural, gentle, harmless, and easy to take and it helps the Dyslexia condition that burdens and interferes with the life of a child or an adult. After understanding the child’s constitution, restricted capabilities, mental state, life situation, etc., a constitutional remedy is selected to start healing the patient. Homeopathic constitutional treatment will facilitate your child with constructive reinforcement of staying motivated and occupied in the learning process. Both hemispheres of the brain contribute in processing language and homeopathic remedies will promote rejuvenation of the brain cells and help reinstate the equilibrium between the two hemispheres of the brain, which is imperative in overcoming dyslexia and improve your child’s aptitude to read and spell.
Homeopathic approach will enhance brain function and improve multitasking, reading, spelling and comprehension, reasoning ability, memory, focus and organizational skills. Homeopathy remedies will also help your child cope with emotional struggles that may arise because of difficulties at school.