Types of Dyslexia

After many years of researching dyslexia and other learning disabilities, I became aware of several different types of dyslexia, each linked to specific challenges in motor, auditory, and visual functions. Although there are seven subcategories in total, the main three types are the focus of our discussion today. These primary types form the basis from which the other four, more composite types of dyslexia derive. Let’s explore these main types to understand the distinct difficulties they present.

Dysphonesia

The first type of dyslexia I want to discuss is called Dysphonesia, which is primarily associated with auditory processing challenges. Individuals with this type of dyslexia may struggle with distinguishing between similar sounds, managing ambient noise, and decoding phonetic (sounding out) spelling. They might also miss subtle social cues, and exhibit sensitivity to loud noises or busy auditory environments. People with Dysphonesia often do much better in quiet classrooms as they are able to interpret what is being taught much clearer. To compensate, people with this type of dyslexia will often rely on their sight and memorization to read, and they may skip or replace unfamiliar words with ones they recognize.

Dyseidesia

The second type of dyslexia I want to discuss today is called Dyseidesia, which is focused on someone’s visual struggles. This most prevalent type of dyslexia involves challenges in connecting written words to their corresponding sounds. People with this type of dyslexia struggle with phonetic (spelling out) words, which can result in longer reading times and errors. For example, a new or irregular word such as “laugh” might be sounded out phonetically as “log” and “read” might be spelled as “rede.” Dyseidesia is also known as surface dyslexia or visual dyslexia.

Dysnemkinesia

The last of the main types of dyslexia is called Dysnemkinesia. This type of dyslexia is associated with the motor skills required for writing. It is linked to activity in the frontal lobe of the brain, typically involving the left hemisphere for right-handed individuals and the right hemisphere for left-handed individuals. Challenges associated with Dysnemkinesia include difficulties with fine motor skills, leading to issues such as ‘letter reversals’, where letters, for instance, ‘b’ and ‘d’, are commonly confused and written backwards. It can also apply to a person writing numbers in reverse. Although less common than other types of dyslexia, it is synonymous to Dysgraphia, which pertains to difficulty with writing, and Dyspraxia—difficulty with motor skills. To learn more about Dysgraphia, click here.

Dyslexic Strategies

In addition to the three primary types of dyslexia discussed, there are four other subtypes of dyslexia, but seeing as they are all combinations of the types of dyslexia we have discussed already I will elaborate on them some other day. Each of these subtypes of dyslexia present unique challenges that require special types of intervention. We offer a selection of easy exercises your child should be doing. These easy exercises take just 15 to 30 minutes each day and will help integrate the areas of the brain that are linked to these types of dyslexia. To learn more, visit our sister site Dyslexic Strategies

Signs of Dyslexia

What are the signs of dyslexia? Driven by a desire to help those who share this query, I’ve dedicated considerable time researching the signs of dyslexia. The signs of dyslexia are quite simple, and can help you figure out if you or your struggling child may have this learning disability. 

What is Dyslexia?

First, we need to understand what dyslexia is exactly. Dyslexia is a learning disability caused by an underdevelopment in the language areas of your brain. This causes people to struggle with reading, speaking, and understanding language in general. While dyslexia primarily has to do with your brain it also has a significant impact on one’s vision. Many individuals with dyslexia also struggle seeing. This challenge may necessitate a need for vision therapy and other forms of intervention. It is important to note that dyslexia does not reflect one’s level of intelligence. Many people with dyslexia possess remarkable intelligence and creativity, they just struggle to convey it in forms of language. Click here to learn more about Dyslexia.

Identifying the Need for Intervention 

How do we know if a person is dyslexic and needs intervention? What are the signs of dyslexia? While symptoms and signs vary depending on the age of the person, the following are common signs for most age groups:

• Difficulty spelling

• A need to sound out words

• Delayed onset of speech

• Struggles to identify sounds 

• Low reading comprehension 

• Reading fatigue

• Reversing word sounds

• Confusing phonetically similar words 

• Struggles with reading

 Individuals with dyslexia often have a hard time reading because the words seem to move around and get jumbled. Not only does this cause them to take a longer time to read but can also leave them mentally exhausted. Because they have a very hard time with reading-based tasks, dyslexics will often go to great lengths to avoid the tasks altogether. And though some dyslexic people do very well with small words, they struggle when it comes to reading long sentences and will often need to sound out the same word multiple times when reading.

Dyslexic people also struggle with speaking. Since the language area of their brains are underdeveloped, they have trouble forming words and will often reverse sounds and confuse words that are similar to one another. As a result, they may experience delayed onset of speech, and/or mix up words often. 

My son showed these signs. He was a very intelligent young man but always struggled in school. Since he was so smart, we had no idea why he had so many problems with school. At first, we thought his challenges might stem from vision issues. We were partially correct, but this wasn’t the complete picture. Despite several vision appointments that yielded some improvement, his academic struggles persisted for many years. 

Solutions

Eventually, while searching for more ways to help him, I learned about dyslexia. I researched the signs of dyslexia and found that he matched many of them. This discovery set me on a path to learn more about dyslexia and ways to reverse the symptoms. Through the journey I found the Unlock Brilliance Method. This technique uses brain integration exercises to strengthen the language area of the brain and reverse the symptoms of dyslexia. These simple exercises which have proven effective in numerous centers globally, are so straightforward that I was able to do them at home with ease. By dedicating just 15 to 30 minutes each day, I was able to reverse my son’s dyslexic symptoms, and help him become an avid reader. 

The positive impact these exercises had on my family inspired me and the founders of Solve Learning Disabilities to create a website to help others who struggle with these same questions. We created a place where people can learn the signs of dyslexia and how to reverse the symptoms on their own with the Unlock Brilliance Method. 

What is Dyslexia? How We Came To Know Dyslexia

“What is Dyslexia?”

“What is Dyslexia?” is a question that gets asked often, and at Solve Learning Disabilities we understand Dyslexia through firsthand experiences. Our own journey began as we observed some of our children facing hurdles in their education. In searching for clarity, we found a rich community of people who were working to help those with learning disabilities and supply answers to the questions we had. Their dedication and support ignited a passion within us and inspired the founders of Solve Learning Disabilities (SLD) to create our website. We aim to demystify dyslexia, offering resources, guidance, and a haven for those seeking answers to the very question that one perplexed us.

What is the Definition of Dyslexia?

So, what is dyslexia? Dyslexia is a learning disability that causes people with it to struggle with reading. This disability is the cause of underdevelopment or weakness in the language areas in the brain, this underdevelopment causes people to struggle with reading, writing and even speaking. It is more common than one might think, with estimates suggesting that 1 out of every 10 people experience it. The condition, once considered lifelong and incurable, is now viewed in a new light.  New fMRI brain scanning technology has paved the way for groundbreaking approaches such as the “Unlock Brilliance Method”. This innovative method uses brain integration exercises to strengthen the language area of the brain and help reverse the effects of dyslexia. These exercises have been successful in many centers around the world, and they’re so quick and easy we were able to do them at home with my son.

Our Experiences with Dyslexia

Since his early years, my son has struggled with reading and writing. His intelligence was never in question—he was, undeniably, a bright child. This led us to speculate that maybe he had problems with his vision, but we were only half right in that assumption. We would see an optometrist regularly for many years, and although this did help it didn’t get us to the point that we wanted to be at. I began searching for answers for what my son could be struggling with and eventually I heard of something called dyslexia. “What is Dyslexia?” then became a nagging question in my head. Through research I learned that dyslexia was the very learning disability that caused my son to struggle through the years. With a name for our challenge, I now searched for a cure. That is when I stumbled upon the “Unlock Brilliance Method”. This method and its easy exercises allowed me to reverse the symptoms of dyslexia in my son, by committing just 15 to 30 minutes each day to simple exercises.

Summary

Today, my son is an avid reader and no longer struggles with writing, reading, and speaking. This is all thanks to the “Unlock Brilliance Method” and its practical exercises. This journey, marked by my son’s early struggles, fueled a collective passion in myself and fellow founders to create Solve Learning Disabilities. Our mission is to share what we learned and help others around the world. We offer free guides that could help anyone grappling with the question, “What is dyslexia?” and seeking ways to reverse it. At Solve Learning Disabilities, we invite you to learn ways to help people who struggle with dyslexia and to access more information on the subject. Join our community and be a part of the solution.

Dyslexic

For the majority of us who don’t know what dyslexia is, understanding a dyslexic completely could be hard. Dyslexic people suffer from a learning disability which makes it difficult for them to process words and numbers properly. But it is more than that.

A Dyslexic finds it difficult to read, speak, and write words. Due to this, they have a poor speaking, writing, and reading ability. However, it would be wrong to regard Dyslexic people as less intelligent. In reality, they are extremely creative and intelligent people who prefer to think outside of the box.

What is “Dyslexic”?

Dyslexic is a person with Dyslexia. Many people regard dyslexia as a disease. However, dyslexia is not a disease. There is no bacteria or virus causing it. There is no genetic mutation whatsoever. There is no brain damage.

For decades it caused professionals to wonder what the cause was. In recent years, better brain scanning equipment has been developed that can scan the active parts of the brain during reading. This allows professionals to see the difference in a good reader vs. a struggling reader. Neurologists have found that it is weaker areas of the brain in the language areas and connection to memory that are contributing to dyslexia and other reading disabilities. There is also weakness between the right and left hemisphere of the brain that makes comprehending difficult.

This is precisely the reason why it does not become automatic to them. They find reading and retaining letters and words such a tedious task.

The good news is, now they know what is causing it which is leading to some wonderful interventions that are helping children all over the world.

What Problems do Dyslexic People Generally Face?

Most people believe that dyslexia causes the brain to perceive letters and numbers in a reverse order. However, reversals are one of the less common signs of Dyslexia and normal until around the age of 6. See the full list of Dyslexic Symptoms.

Their reading ability is slower as compared to other students in the class. Dyslexic children mix up the letters in words. For example, they read the word “now” as “won”. The words seem to blend all together with no meanings as such. As a result, it is not shocking to see when students with dyslexia make basic spelling errors over and over again.

They also face a lot of problems while expressing themselves in writing and speaking. These negative aspects make the dyslexic students extremely self-conscious. They avoid participating in classrooms and often withdraw socially.

Another characteristic that is commonly observed among dyslexic people is they don’t remember what they have read. Furthermore, solving basic math problems could be more problematic for dyslexic people.

What Positive Aspects Do Dyslexic People Have?

Dyslexics also exhibit amazing cognitive and intellectual strengths. Dyslexic people are great at analytic reasoning, spatial relations, critical thinking, lateral thinking, visual thinking, and creativity.

They can solve difficult problems with their strong reasoning ability and have a remarkable skill to look at problems from a different perspective. They also possess interests in creative fields like theater, music, and sports.

The key is to strengthen the parts of the brain that are functioning on a lower lever so the words and letters can be recognized, retained in memory and recalled instantly. This is why we are passionate about our movement to Solve Learning Disabilities.

Reverse Dyslexia

Reverse Dyslexia with At-Home Intervention Exercises

There is still a lot of controversy among professionals as to what constitutes a true diagnosis of ‘Dyslexia’. The word ‘Dyslexia’ is generally used in broad terms by many to describe a child that struggles significantly when reading or learning to read. It does not have to be characterized by backwards letters. Seeing words or letters backwards is only one of the many Dyslexia Symptoms.

The letters may look strange to them or appear to move around. They may struggle in early reading, unable to connect letters with their sounds. See other Dyslexia Symptoms

But this is not always the case. Some do well with letters and small words, but Dyslexia becomes more apparent when they start to read whole sentences or more difficult words. They may have to sound out the same word every time they come to it and have low comprehension of what they read. Reading for Dyslexics requires a lot of time, energy, and hard work. Therefore, they exert more energy to read and fatigue quicker.

Practice, practice, practice is not the answer. These kids learn differently!

Directionality Visual

The Struggle is Real

It is so hard to watch your child struggle, hate, and avoid reading. We know that some of you might be just wondering if your child is dyslexic while the other half of you know and are lying awake at night worrying about your sweetie and praying they have a better day at school tomorrow. You’re feeling like it is killing their self esteem and ruining their school experience both academically and socially the older they get. It is causing problems in the family because they come home so agitated from feeling inadequate and scared of embarrassment at school. We get it. We have lived it. We have found some interventions that really worked and are passionate about sharing them with you.

Can my child’s Dyslexia be reversed?

Most Dyslexia interventions focus on repetition of phonics, syllables and site words. This is reasonable. Children with Dyslexia need extra support in these areas. However, practice, practice, practice is not the answer. These kids learn differently!

The new fMRI brain scanning equipment and professional studies coming forth are extending the frontiers of our knowledge on what we knew about Dyslexia.  We are in a new age where there is now enough understanding about Dyslexia to produce interventions that strengthen the weakness at the root of the problem…the brain. Check out our free Dyslexia Video Training.

Read more information on Primitive reflexes that affect dyslexia and Auditory processing and dyslexia.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a common Learning Disability which involves issues with reading, spelling and writing. Dyslexia is on the rise. When not dealt with properly, it easily turns into bigger problems including behavior problems, and self-esteem issues.

However, it is not only children who have Dyslexia. Even teenagers and older adults have Dyslexia. It may be common to think that people with Dyslexia are less intelligent. In reality, they are highly creative, very intelligent and hardworking people.

Studies show that about 5 to 10% of Americans have symptoms of Dyslexia such as slow reading, trouble pronouncing, spelling, or mixing up words. There is still controversy over “What is Dyslexia?”

What is Dyslexia

There is no exact set of factors that cause Dyslexia. However, professionals have found that Dyslexics have something in common. It is the way their brain receives, processes, retains and recalls visual images. They are also different in the way they handle verbal input and parts of language. They may have Auditory Processing Issues that affect reading.  When children first learn to read, they learn to connect the sound with each letter, then learn to recognize words by site or sounding out phonics and syllables. The last step is to comprehend by combining those words in a meaning and retaining it in memory. However, kids with Dyslexia are below average in these functions. Thus, they face trouble reading, spelling and writing. See all of the Symptoms of Dyslexia.

Professionals have recently found that there are Dyslexia intervention exercises that can stimulate and strengthen these functions of the brain to produce smoother, more fluent reading and comprehension.

Problems of Dyslexia

Children, teens, or adults with Dyslexia face a number of issues related to reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Kids may under perform in their studies due to slow learning. They may have Retained Infant Reflexes that affect reading. Since reading is the most basic skill, children with Dyslexia may have difficulty keeping up with their peers.

Since children with Dyslexia can’t read properly, they lose self-confidence. If this condition is left untreated, Dyslexia may cause behavior problems, anxiety, depression, and aggression toward family and classmates. Out of embarrassment, children may withdraw from their friends, parents, and teachers.

Due to Dyslexia, a student may suffer from headaches or a stomachache while reading. Furthermore, many Dyslexics suffer from anxiety and fatigue quickly. All of this prevents the child from reaching their full potential if interventions are not done.

Positive Dyslexia Traits

Dyslexia isn’t all bad. It also has some positive attributes. People with Dyslexia are highly intelligent and creative. Their interests typically lean towards drama, sports, designs, music, sports, and business.

They are blessed with strong reasoning skills which help them solve any kind of problem quite easily. People with Dyslexia can easily adapt to new situations and have highly empathetic and warm personalities. They are also curious, imaginative, and think outside of the box.

Although these are beneficial traits, think how much more successful the child will be if they can read well too. If you observe the signs and symptoms of Dyslexia in your child, don’t allow it to go untreated.

How Primitive Reflexes Helped My Child’s Dyslexia

Nate had struggled his entire life with Dyslexia and reading comprehension. For years I looked for a solution, anything that could benefit his learning. I had studied different techniques and programs that had been known to help Dyslexics, but it all seemed to be helping some of  the symptoms of Dyslexia, not the root of the problem. We could practice phonics and site words all we wanted, and he would improve a little, but not as much as we hoped. Problem was that the improvement was slow and as he grew, so did the gap between what he should have been able to read, and what he really could read. The thing was, he was super smart. He had a gift with three dimensional and spatial type work. He could be an amazing architect, engineer or sculptor if he could just get through all the paper work of high school. I knew he was smarter than his reading abilities were showing he was.

Problem was, school is all about reading, so it was making him feel like he wasn’t as smart as the other kids. It was killing his confidence and making him hate school. It drove me crazy because I knew how intelligent he was.

He wasn’t a quitter, and didn’t give up, but struggled all through high school. He had been in IEP programs and struggled with Dyslexia, Auditory Processing and over active Sensory Processing. Toward the end of his years in high school, I found something that would change our lives. I began studying and learning information on neuroplasticity (the brains ability to rewire), Sensory cognitive exercises (to build better connections in the brain) and Visual Therapy.

The exercises, and Vision Therapy, were helping him a lot with reading, and I was so happy about it, but there were still a few areas we needed to work on. He still struggled with Auditory and Sensory issues.

Then I learned all about Primitive Reflexes. I dove in and learned everything I could, reading books, searching websites, and even attended a lecture about it. We eventually tested and found that some of his Primitive Reflexes had not integrated as a baby. These Reflexes were well known for causing visual problems, reading issues and some of his physical problems with his hips, back, knees and gait which he had struggled with since he first started to walk.

“This is very common in Dyslexics that did not crawl as babies”

I was so excited! Finally, solutions that were doing more than just putting a band aid on the problem. I had looked so long and hard for something that actually worked, and we had finally found it.

More About Testing for Primitive Reflexes 

Within a couple of months after starting the Primitive Reflex Integration Exercises, these other problems started to improve. He noticed being able to understand and remember verbal instructions better. He noticed a big improvement in discerning one person’s voice in a crowd and not being as sensitive to noisy rooms. He noticed his reading and comprehension improving. He even started buying his own books and reading for enjoyment. This was a big leap of improvement. He used to avoid books and even avoid looking at open pages because they would make him feel nauseous. I was over the moon! I only wished I had found all of that information sooner.

At the time I write this, Nate is 22 years old now and doing great. He is positive about his future and continues to work at self-improvement exercises. He is successful at his job and supports himself. Nate recently became an investor and part owner of Solve Learning Disabilities, LLC. Check out other Dyslexia Interventions.

Dyslexia Symptoms

Discover the Dyslexia Symptoms and other skills affected by it. Dyslexia is characterized by problems in reading, spelling and writing.

However, Dyslexia is not just about reading, it is much more than that. It is a Learning Disability that affects the way the brain processes written and spoken language, as well as memory. These children can often be misunderstood as lazy, inattentive or Attention Deficit.  On the contrary! Dyslexics are very intelligent, so it may confuse parents when their bright child struggles in reading and and other subjects.

Below is a list of Dyslexia Symptoms. A Dyslexic child will seldom have all of the Dyslexia Symptoms, but will display some of them.

Whether or not they are severe enough to be diagnosed with Dyslexia, it is important to do the interventions that will help them create stronger neurological connections in the areas of the brain that contribute to smooth, fluent reading, comprehension and memory. These exercises are simple enough to be done right at home.  And, surprisingly, it does not involve a lot of reading or phonics. There are better interventions than practice, practice, practice. These kids learn different! Also see What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia Symptoms

  • A bright intelligent child that struggles in reading and spelling.
  • Choppy, non-fluent reading.
  • Forgets newly learned words by the next page.
  • Has to relearn the same words over and over.
  • Struggles to sound out words, especially isolated words.
  • Difficulty learning phonic sounds. Has to relearn them often.
  • Often guesses at words when reading.
  • Misses punctuation. Reads right through the end of a sentence without stopping.
  • Tires of reading sooner than typical children.
  • An typical curios child that avoids reading for fun.
  • Poor spelling and handwriting.
  • Misses or reverses syllables.
  • May read or write letters or words backwards after the age of 6.
  • Has a problem with reading accuracy: Leaves small words out or adds small words in like at, to, the.
  • Sometimes reads a sentence out of order.
  • Substitutes a more difficult word with the same meaning for the one in the text they are reading.
  • Leaves suffixes off words: Such as the plural ‘s’, ‘ing’ and ‘ang’ etc.
  • Misses tiny words like ‘to’ or ‘a’.
  • Becomes nauseous or dizzy when reading.
  • Gets headaches when reading although they are wearing their glasses or their vision check was good.
  • Can play with Legos or video game for hours, but seems to have an attention problem when it is homework time.
  • May see movement in the words of letters.
  • Has poor comprehension. May get through a sentence but not know what the text meant. This worsens with age in the higher grades as the text becomes more difficult.

Find out more about Dyslexia Testing and the Dyslexia Interventions.

Could It Be Dyslexia-Dyslexia Testing

Reading is a skill that we all must acquire at an early age to be successful in life. However, people with Dyslexia face trouble in matching letters to sounds, then sounds to words, and finally words to meaning. When this happens, they are unable to read fluently. Or, They will struggle at retaining the meaning of what they have read. If left untreated, it may plague them all through school and into their adult life. We get asked how to diagnose Dyslexia successfully? Although there isn’t a single test for the diagnosis of Dyslexia, there is a series of assessments that will help determine Dyslexia.

Could it Be Dyslexia

Dyslexia is not just reversals of letters and words. It is a number of reading problems severe enough to cause a child to fall behind and struggle reading, writing and spelling. See our list of common Dyslexia Symptoms Checklist. Or check out our Dyslexia Video Training.

Professionals are different in how they diagnose Dyslexia. There is no standard for number of symptoms or severity that constitutes Dyslexia. It is up to the individual tester to choose whether to give the diagnosis of Dyslexia or not. Some professionals are very conservative when it comes to giving a Dyslexia diagnosis. Children with enough symptoms may go un-diagnosed. In addition, others might hand the diagnosis out too easily without ruling out other contributing factors first. This is why it is so important as a parent to learn the symptoms and other disabilities that mimic Dyslexia.

In this generation, a lot or reliance is put on the school and teacher to make sure a child succeeds in school. This is important, but as a parent, you should take the initiative to assess the child’s struggles in school and at home. Speak with teaches and find out what they are specifically struggling in. Make notes of it.

Reading struggles at any severity should be dealt with early on. Without intervention, the gap between what they should be able to read and what they can read broadens as they get into grades with more difficult sentences and paragraphs.

Dyslexia Testing

While a small percentage of parents take their child for an official Dyslexia Test, it is a good idea to have your child assessed so you know the severity of their disability. A psychologist that specializes in early childhood development should be able to conduct a Dyslexia Test. It is important to familiarize yourself and your child with the type of things your child will be asked to do. Children are often afraid of the unknown and tired of feeling ‘incompetent’ at reading. For this reason, we have a Sample of a Dyslexia Test you can download and do with your child prior to taking them in. This will help them feel more comfortable at their testing.

Educate Yourself

We created a Free 3 part video series on Dyslexia. It applies to all reading disabilities and is very educational. Also, it goes into some of the other learning disabilities that mimic Dyslexia. You will also discover how they learn differently. And, how to use that difference to their benefit. Furthermore, it gives quick hacks and accommodations to help your little reader improve right away.

Dyslexia and Auditory Processing

What Is The Connection?

Do you ever feel like ‘Why doesn’t that kid listen to me?!’ There is a reason your child acts like they are not listening to you. They may also come across as if they are ignoring your command or getting only part of a multiple step request.

Many children with Dyslexia are slower at processing verbal information than typical readers. This is because over 50% of children with Dyslexia also have some Auditory Processing Disorder or weakness. Their ears work just fine, but they are slow to completely understand what is being said. They also:

  • Have difficulty understanding long sentences.
  • May act like they were not spoken to sometimes.
  • Whispers sentences as they write them.
  • Stops in the middle of reading a sentence and loses their spot easily.
  • Can sound out a word like ‘b-a-tt-le’ but fails to see the text is talking about a battle.
  • Has difficulty fusing syllables into whole words. Choppy reading and missing syllables. Example:  Reads ‘com-pre-hen-sion’ like ‘compression’.
  • Has to sound out simple site words over and over again.

Check out their Auditory Skills by giving them a multiple step command.  ‘Go upstairs, get your shoes and coat and come back down so we can leave’. They may hear the first step or the first and last step. They go upstairs and don’t come down. Or,  they go upstairs and come back down without their shoes or coat. As a result, parents get frustrated and feel the child is just not ‘listening’ to them. The truth is they hear it fine, but it does not process and sink in to meaning for them. Check out our list of other Symptoms of Dyslexia.

Can it Be Helped?

The good news is that you can help a child struggling with Auditory Processing and Dyslexia. My son improved much in his reading and comprehension when we did Auditory Processing Exercises with him about four times per week. And the best part is they are easy enough to do right at home. Get our List of Auditory Processing Types or learn more from our short Dyslexia Video Training.

Other Symptoms Affected By Auditory Processing?

  • It takes effort to get their attention.
  • Look straight at parents when being spoken to, but acts like they didn’t hear them.
  • Drops part of the steps of verbal instructions.
  • Struggles to hear the person speaking to them in a busy room.
  • Acts confused when asked to do something.
  • Easily agitated during longer conversations.
  • May have been taken for a hearing test with suspicion of a hearing impairment.
  • Gets offended easily by misreading sarcasm or inflection in others voices.
  • Has problem recalling information recited to them, like a phone number.
  • Cannot repeat something back word-for-word.
  • Or, can repeat instructions back perfectly, but does not comprehend them.
  • Has to whisper sentences as they write them.
  • Stops in the middle of reading a sentence and loses their spot easily.
  • May have articulation problems.
  • Stalls when trying to say simple words when speaking. Struggles to find the word to use.
  • Problems organizing words into a clear thought when speaking and writing.

How Does Auditory Affect Reading?

This is super frustrating to many parents that think their child is just ignoring them. Some even think their child has a hearing problem and takes them for additional hearing tests just to find out their ears work fine. As a result, they can get misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder.

In addition to following commands, Auditory Processing has a big impact on a child’s ability to read fluently. It is not the child’s ability to hear, but to process the language coming through the ears to the brain in an efficient amount of time. It becomes more of a language processing problem for Dyslexic children. These problems go unnoticed for years. The child is tagged as lazy or slow to respond.

Therefore, they start school. But, without a firm foundation in language processing, it is very hard for them, when reading, to combine letters into words, then words into sentences, then sentences into meaning. This is part of the breakdown with reading fluent sentences and gaining comprehension of the story.

3 Best Things to Help Your Struggling Reader

Why It Is Important

There are three simple steps you can take to make a very positive change for your struggling reader. Reading struggles are traumatizing for children. It not only lowers their self esteem but subjects them to embarrassment and ridicule at school. I know this first hand. My dad was dyslexic, I was, and my son was. I remember the embarrassment of being called on to read in class. I haven’t forgotten the cold sweats and hot face while feeling everyone was snickering behind my back. I stumbled through reading words incorrectly and losing my place over and over again. However, it doesn’t have to be like this. There are three things I have learned through experience and 5 years of research that ended in my son reversing his dyslexia.

1. No Aloud Reading in Class

This is a big one, nor reading in front of other children until they have done enough intervention exercises to read somewhat smoothly.  Children are extremely sensitive to what others think of them, especially struggling readers. They are extremely intuitive. They are so fearful about public reading that it actually kicks their ‘fight-or-flight’ response into high gear. This is an uncontrollable reaction of the lower part of the brain to extreme fear. It gives them the cold sweats and drains the blood from their head and sends it out to their extremities. Furthermore, it also disengages parts of the brain used for reading while in this state. Talk about agony! You have the right as a parent to ask teachers for accommodations and this is one of the best to ask for.

2. Spend more time doing reading intervention activities than reading

Make your at-home time count.  I spoke to a neurologist who specializes in learning disabilities. He recommended splitting up whatever time you have with them into 80/20. This is 80% of the time on intervention and 20% of the time working on phonics and reading. This will feel opposite to your plan, but the interventions will actually stimulate the parts of the brain for reading to higher function. As their word recognition and phonics area connects better, reading will automatically come easier. Learn more of that on our Free Training Videos.

3. Require less work.

Ask your child’s teacher to reduce the amount of work expected, such as shorter reading requirements and half the problems on worksheets. Struggling readers should not be expected to do the amount of assignments typical readers do. They work twice as long and ten times harder to get the same assignments completed. Completing assignments quicker will give them a sense of accomplishment and give you more time in the evening to spend on interventions instead of homework.

How Will The Teacher Feel About This?

I have found teachers to be extremely willing to help. They want to see these kids succeed too. Furthermore, they are usually the first to see that the child is not learning in the same way the other children are. In our district, you don’t need an official diagnosis of Dyslexia to get reading accommodations such as these. But if your school requires it, learn about official dyslexia testing.

Summary

Get these kids feeling better about themselves and stop the trauma. They do not have to be humiliated in class. Moreover, they do not have to have endless frustrating hours of homework and phonics to succeed. They are brilliant kids and learn differently. Our Free Video series has a whole video on the difference in how they read. Check it out.

Free Video Training on Dyslexia

Learn How to Best Help Your Dyslexic Child

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Because it is so important to help a Dyslexic find success early on, we have created a Dyslexia video training. It teaches about different Dyslexia discoveries and interventions, cool hacks and accommodations to help them start to improve right away, as well as the newest intervention that helped our son reverse his Dyslexia. Subscribe to our Email below and as a ‘thank you’ get our Dyslexia Video Training in your email. You will instantly get access to the first video. The others will follow every couple of days.

“I Knew Something Great Was Happening.”

The first time my son said ‘I don’t think I am Dyslexic anymore’, I knew something great was happening. I had already noticed that it was like a light had switched on in him.’ He had struggled for years with through any subject that included reading (that’s about all of them). He had been in an IEP for years with all kinds of accommodations. His self-esteem was shot. He was withdrawing socially. He thought that he just wasn’t as smart as the other kids. So when I heard this, I worked hard to choke back my tears.

We had been trying an intervention approach that was new, but not well known yet. Until then, I felt like I was taking a leap of faith. I had read many accounts of how much they had helped other children. But, I wasn’t sure if I was doing them right. I’m a busy person and didn’t want to waste time if I was doing them wrong.  Do they really work? Was I doing them enough? Was I doing them correctly? Turned out ‘yes’ to all three.

We had also scoured the internet, books, trainings and anything else we could find to get the most effective hacks and accommodations to help our struggling reader. Every child is different, but we did find which ones work better than others for Dyslexics. We have included them in our Dyslexia Training Videos. We are sharing our years of experience with you. Check out Our Story.

Children with Dyslexia are very bright. There is no better time than the present to help them succeed. 

We have a lot of other resources for you. Visit our Dyslexia FAQ page or our common Dyslexia Symptoms.

Letter Detail Discrimination

Over 51% of struggling readers have some visual processing challenges which inhibit Letter Detail and Letter Discrimination skills. This is not eyesight. This is how the brain processes the images from the eye and controls the eye muscles to move slowly across the text. Many children struggle with this even when going to regular annual vision checks. These visual processing challenges can make the child struggle to notice the slight differences in letters. This makes reading very hard, especially when fonts get smaller in second and third grade. This is a free printable designed to help those kiddos notice the slight differences in letter shapes. Practice until they can easily see the difference in each set of letters.

Free Letter Discrimination Download

If your child struggles with reading. It is important to get a vision check from an optometrist with a fellowship in vision development. You can find one here. Be sure to check mark the box that says ‘Board Certified in Vision Therapy’ to find one in your area.

Dyslexia Treatment

Dyslexia Treatment

There are many options when it comes to dyslexia treatment. But before choosing a treatment, you need to find out what kind of dyslexia your child has. We have information on dyslexia testing with a free sample dyslexia test to check out.

Once tested, you will have a better idea as to what dyslexia treatment is more appropriate for your child. Is their reading disability centered more around visual processing issues, auditory processing disorders, phonetic and word lexicon issues, or attention deficit issues? Many have a combination of these. Knowing this will affect the decision on dyslexia treatment as well as their IEP plan at school.

Visual Issues

Dyslexia treatment of visual issues is handled best by a Behavioral Optometrist. They are scarce but worth it. My son used one and improved much after 12 weeks. You can find one at the COVD website. Be sure to click the ‘Vision Therapist’ box at the bottom.

Auditory Issues

Auditory Processing deficits can exacerbate reading issues. It inhibits their ability for language processing. A good place to start with auditory issues are with an Audiologist. To learn more about that, see our Auditory and Dyslexia post.

Phonetic Issues

Both attention issues and phonetic weakness can be helped with a newer kind of treatment that stimulates and rewires parts of the brain to function on a higher level. We talk about this in our free 3 Part Video Series on Dyslexia. It is easy enough to do right at home as a dyslexia treatment. Therefore, we added this to my son’s visual treatments, and it worked miracles!

Dyslexia Treatment Centers

There are a lot of dyslexia treatment centers. Most focus on pounding more phonetic and decoding strategies into them. It is slow progress but is effective to some extent over time. Furthermore, many don’t really deal with the underlying issue of the brain needing stimulation to certain parts of the brain.  This is why we love the Brain Balance Centers. Our Dyslexia Course also teaches the brain stim approach.

You got this! Every child is different. But, no one can help a struggling reader more than someone who cares enough to find the right treatment and approaches.

Dyslexia and Vision Therapy

Many people are not aware that dyslexia and vision therapy go hand in hand. Most children with dyslexia need vision therapy in addition to their other interventions. Furthermore, children with reading struggles are often misdiagnosed with dyslexia or attention issues when they simply need vision therapy. What we are talking about is more than eyesight or reading glasses. It is visual development issues that can be corrected easily. Visual disabilities are missed in many children with reading disabilities even when seeing an optometrist regularly. This happened with my own son for years.

Vision Develops

Vision development starts in the womb and accelerates after birth. It also strengthens as the child begins to bat at objects, pull them to their mouth, and later move around to explore their environment. Underdevelopment can happen when milestones are missed. For example, not integrating the primitive reflexes, or missing the crawling stage. These can contribute to poor vision development. When the visual processing and visual motor control do not develop properly, it can cause reading disabilities but goes unnoticed. The child has nothing else to compare their experience with.

Vision vs. Eyesight

It may seem confusing, but vision and eyesight are not the same thing.  Eyesight is the ability to see something clearly (known as Visual Acuity 20/20) and is tested with eye charts and other equipment at regular Optometrist visits.

Vision, on the other hand, is more than just eyesight. It is a skill developed as the child grows. Vision is the brain’s ability to use the images from both eyes, coordinate the images in the brain, and control eye movements.  There are several dysfunctions of vision that cause learning disabilities, especially in writing, reading, & math.

Symptoms of Visual Dysfunction

  • Loses place when reading.
  • Diagnosed with dyslexia.
  • Diagnoses with ADD or ADHD.
  • Loses attention reading.
  • Avoids reading.
  • Gets nauseous when reading.
  • Tires quicker than others when reading.
  • Eyes burn after reading.
  • Gets headaches reading with or without glasses.

Treatment

Because vision is learned after birth, it can be stimulated and exercised to develop through exercises with an optometrist who has a fellowship in COVD (College of Optometrists in Vision Development). They will assess your child’s vision therapy and dyslexia needs in 1-2 appointments. If your child requires vision therapy, they usually recommend weekly or bi-weekly appointments with one of their therapists. You will be sent home with exercises to work on daily. It usually takes about 12 weeks and makes a life-long difference for your child.

Diagnosis

To get a proper diagnosis of visual skills, you will need to see an Optometrist with a Fellowship in COVD. I find them reasonably priced and well worth your child’s future.  You can find one in your area at the  COVD page Find A Doctor. Be sure to check the tick box for ‘Board Certified in Vision Therapy’.

We used Dr. Davies here in our home state at Utah Vision Development for my son. We were all super inspired at the transformation my son went through with his vision development and reading. He once hated to look at a page in a book. It even made him nauseous. Now he reads for pleasure!

If you have a child struggling with Dyslexia or other learning disabilities, we highly recommend finding one in your area for a consultation.

Why Delbert Eats His Homework

Purchase on Amazon

Dyslexia Book
Dyslexic kids
Vision Therapy Book

Synopsis

Delbert is a struggling reader who loves using his big blinky eyes and clowning around at recess to get through his reading disability at school. He musters the courage to talk about his troubles with his mama and teacher who promise to help him find answers. Delbert’s doc finds things that will help, but Delbert schemes to use the appointments to get more ice cream. Can they really help Delbert? Will Delbert ever love school again? See what really makes a difference.

Weather a child has dyslexia or other reading difficulties, getting behind in school can destroy self-confidence and create feelings of inferiority. Delbert feels withdrawn and ashamed before getting help. This is a story of a triumph over learning disabilities through hard work.

This book is great for children who are behind in reading, struggling with dyslexia or other learning disabilities. It gives expression to what they are experiencing and opens conversation about it. In addition, it gives them a relatable character to identify with and gain courage to overcome their disabilities.

Delbert Eats His Homework in PDF

Where Would You Like Us To Send Your Free Copy

    Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

    Many people are not aware that dyslexia and vision therapy go hand in hand. Most children with dyslexia need vision therapy in addition to their other interventions. Furthermore, children with reading struggles are often misdiagnosed with dyslexia or attention issues when they simply need vision therapy. What we are talking about is more than eyesight or reading glasses. It is visual development issues that can be corrected easily. Visual disabilities are missed in many children with reading disabilities even when seeing an optometrist regularly. This happened with my own son for years.

     

    Vision Develops

    Vision development starts in the womb and accelerates after birth. It also strengthens as the child begins to bat at objects, pull them to their mouth, and later move around to explore their environment. Underdevelopment can happen when milestones are missed. For example, not integrating the primitive reflexes, or missing the crawling stage. These can contribute to poor vision development. When the visual processing and visual motor control do not develop properly, it can cause reading disabilities but goes unnoticed. The child has nothing else to compare their experience with.

    Dyslexic

    For the majority of us who don’t know what dyslexia is, understanding a dyslexic child could be difficult. Dyslexic children suffer from a learning disability which makes it difficult for them to process words and numbers properly. But it is more than that.

    A Dyslexic finds it difficult to read, speak, and write words. Due to this, they have a poor speaking, writing, and reading ability. However, it would be wrong to regard Dyslexic people as less intelligent. In reality, they are extremely creative and intelligent people who prefer to think outside of the box.

    Read More …

    Dyslexia Test

    Dyslexia testing is about more than letters and reading. It is about the child’s ability to understand written and oral language, recognize the letters and syllables, then combine them into words and sentences. For someone with Dyslexia, this is a slow frustrating process.

    If your child is struggling to read fluently or comprehend the text, there is a chance you will be advised to get a professional diagnosis for your child.

    A psychologist specializing in early learning would be able to conduct a Dyslexia test. The evaluation is often done in two to three sessions, depending on how much of the evaluation the child can get through before tiring. It is a good idea to have them professionally diagnosed. This will help you understand the severity of their problem and rule out other issues that might be contributing to their reading disability.

    However, testing is not required. A surprisingly low percentage of parents get official testing done for a number of reasons. They feel that the child’s struggle to read is proof enough. They want to focus their time and money on helping them improve. Furthermore,  some parents do not want their child labeled, or simply can’t afford it.  The good news is that reading interventions can help regardless of the decision to test or not. 

    Read More …

    Dyslexia Symptoms

    The dyslexia symptoms have been compiled by years of specialists studying and learning all that is involved with a dyslexic child.  It is characterized by problems in reading, spelling and writing.

    Below is a list of Dyslexia Symptoms. A Dyslexic child will seldom have all of the Dyslexia Symptoms, but will display some of them.

    Read More …

    How to Diagnose Dyslexia

    how to diagnose dyslexia

    Reading is a skill that we all have acquired at an early age to be successful at school. However, people with Dyslexia face trouble in successfully matching letters to sounds, then sounds to words, and finally words to meaning. When this happens, they are unable read fluently and retain the meaning of what they have read. If left untreated, it may plague them all through school and into their adult life. We get asked how to diagnose Dyslexia successfully? Although there isn’t a single test for the diagnosis of Dyslexia, there is a series of assesments that will help determine Dyslexia. And, there are symptoms of dyslexia that you would surprise you. 

    Read More …

    Dyslexia FAQ

    Take a look below at the frequently asked questions about Dyslexia that we’ve been asked, and have answered! All questions have been submitted by our website viewers.

    Scroll down to take a look at the FAQ’s.

    Thank you to all who asked us such great questions!
    Read More …

    Dyslexia

    Reverse Dyslexia with At-Home Intervention Exercises

    There is still a lot of controversy among professionals as to what constitutes a true diagnosis of ‘Dyslexia’. The word ‘Dyslexia’ is generally used in broad terms by many to describe a child that struggles significantly when reading or learning to read. It does not have to be characterized by backwards letters. Seeing words or letters backwards is only one of the many Dyslexia Symptoms.

    The letters may look strange to them or appear to move around. They may struggle in early reading, unable to connect letters with their sounds. 

    But this is not always the case. Some do well with letters and small words, but Dyslexia becomes more apparent when they start to read whole sentences or more difficult words. They may have to sound out the same word every time they come to it and have low comprehension of what they read. Reading for Dyslexics requires a lot of time, energy, and hard work. Therefore, they exert more energy to read and fatigue quicker.

    Directionality Visual

     Practice, practice, practice is not the answer. These kids learn differently!

     

    The Struggle is Real

    It is so hard to watch your child struggle, hate, and avoid reading. We know that some of you might be just wondering if your child is dyslexic while the other half of you know and are lying awake at night worrying about your sweetie and praying they have a better day at school tomorrow. You’re feeling like it is killing their self esteem and ruining their school experience both academically and socially the older they get. It is causing problems in the family because they come home so agitated from feeling inadequate and scared of embarrassment at school. We get it. We have lived it. We have found some interventions that really worked and are passionate about sharing them with you.

     

    Can my child’s Dyslexia be reversed?

    Most Dyslexia interventions focus on repetition of phonics, syllables and site words. This is reasonable. Children with Dyslexia need extra support in these areas. However, practice, practice, practice is not the answer. These kids learn differently!

    The new fMRI brain scanning equipment and professional studies coming forth are extending the frontiers of our knowledge on what we knew about Dyslexia.  We are in a new age where there is now enough understanding about Dyslexia to produce interventions that strengthen the weakness at the root of the problem…the brain.

    Unlock Brilliance!

    The Unlock Brilliance Method uses brain integration exercises that are being used successfully in centers around the world. They are simple enough to be done right at home in 15-30 minutes per day. It focuses on strengthening these areas of the brain responsible for smooth, fluent reading. See the difference it can make in your child’s life!

    Retained Rooting Reflex

    Primitive Reflex Testing

     

    The Rooting Reflex is important in helping an infant locate food and breast feed. It develops during pregnancy and continues until the baby is about 4 months old.  You will notice the Rooting Reflex in a newborn if you brush your finger down one side of the mouth. The baby will turn toward the stroke and open the mouth. This is normal but should integrate (disappear) by about 4 months. If it is not properly integrated, it can contribute to problems in speech, writing, eating disorders and Thyroid problems. Be sure to do the Retained Rooting Reflex Test shown below on your child.

    Children with eating disorders aggravated by a Retained Rooting Reflex will have a constant urge to have something in their mouth, yet are often sensitive to textures. These ones end up being the ones that are always chewing on something plastic, drools, or struggles to form their words properly. The Retained Rooting Reflex can cause the tongue to lie too far forward in the mouth. This can cause difficulty swallowing and chewing their food.

    Read More …

    Retained Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

    Primitive Reflex Testing

    The Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex is present at birth then disappears until about 6 to 9 months. It reappears for a few months to assist in learning to crawl.

    You will notice it in a baby if you move their chin down toward their chest. The knees will bend. If you move the head up toward the back, the legs will straighten. Do not confuse this with the Landau Reflex. They are two separate reflexes.

    If this does not integrate and disappear by about 11 months, it can cause motor learning and behavior disorders. Simple exercises can solve the problem.

    Retained Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Symptoms

    • Poor posture standing
    • Sits with slumpy posture
    • Low muscle tone
    • Ape-like walk
    • Problems with attention especially in stressful situations
    • Vision accommodation and tracking problems
    • Difficulty learning to swim
    • Difficulty reading
    • Dyslexia
    • Usually skips crawling
    • Sits with legs in a W position
    • ADD
    • ADHD
    • Hyper activity or fidgety
    • Poor hand eye coordination
    • Problems looking between near and far sighted objects, like copying from a chalkboard
    • Sloppy eater
    • Rotated Pelvis
    • Even if they don’t display any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to do the quick test on them, as there may be other functions that are affected by it that are still unknown. 

    Studies

    Check out the latest studies on Primitive Reflex Integration. My favorite is the newest study by Harvard.

    Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Test

    Have the child get down on their hands and knees, with neck straight and their body slightly forward enough to put weight over their hands. Now ask the child to lower the head bringing the chin toward the chest for a count of 7 seconds, then raise head up toward their back. Do this several times.

    Retained Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex test

     

     

    Retained Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex

    Look For:

    Back twitching. Back trying to arch up when head is up. Arms bending or body weight shifting back toward their legs when head goes up. If any of these occur the reflex is most likely still present. Exercise needed! 

    Symetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Exercises

    Retained Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)

    Primitive Reflex Testing

    The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex, like the Spinal Gallant Reflex (SGR), helps the infant do their part of emergence through the birth canal and learn hand and eye control. You will notice it in an infant if you gently turn their head to one side. The arm and leg on the same side will straighten, while the arm and leg on the opposite side will flex. The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex develops at 18 weeks after conception and should be integrated and gone by about 6 months after birth. If not, it can cause motor issues, reading, math, and other learning problems.

    The connection between the hand and eyes help develop depth perception and eye-hand coordination. If the ATNR is retained the child will have difficulty walking normally when turning his head or problems writing and reading when head movement is needed, which is always. For example, writing while looking back and forth to the blackboard or a book.

    Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Symptoms

    • Reading Difficulties
    • Dyslexia
    • Hand eye coordination problems
    • Awkward walk or gait
    • Difficulty in school
    • Immature handwriting
    • Difficulty in sports
    • Math and reading issues
    • Poor balance
    • Eye, ear, foot, and hand dominance will not be on the same side
    • Difficulty in things that require crossing over the midline of the body
    • Poor depth perception
    • Shoulder, neck and hip problems
    • Even if they don’t display any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to do the quick test on them, as there may be other functions that are affected by it that are still unknown.

    Studies

    Check out the latest studies on Primitive Reflex Integration. My favorite is the newest study by Harvard.

    Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Tests

    Test 1:  Have the child stand facing you with arms and hands straight out in front of them. Ask the child to keep that position while turning their head to one side and then to the other. They should be able to move their head only. Look for elbows to bend or shoulders to turn in the direction of the head. If so, their neck movements are still associated with their shoulders and the reflex is most likely present. Exercises are needed.

    Retained Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Retained ATNR

     

     

    Test 2:  You can also have them get down on their hands and knees like a “kitty” with their head straight out and face toward the floor. Ask them to look to one side then to the other side, keeping their neck and arms straight. When their head is turned to the side, look for elbows to bend or the body to shift from one side to the other. If so neck and shoulder movement is still connected. The reflex is most likely present.

    Retained Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex 2 Retained ATNR

    Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Exercises