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.

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!
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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

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.

Retained Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

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.

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!

Retained Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)

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.

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.

Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Exercises