Dyslexia in a Hub

Dyslexia is difficulty in learning to read, write, spell,  or even speak. It has been defined in different ways.  For example, in 1968, the World Federation of Neurologists defined dyslexia as "a disorder in children who, despite conventional classroom experience, fail to attain the language skills of reading, writing, and spelling commensurate with their intellectual abilities." 

Dyslexia appears to be the  most common learning disability in children and can persist through life. It has been around for a longtime, and can be related to hormonal influences, heredity or brain injury, the inability to translate images received from the eye or ears into understandable language. However it does not result from  vision or hearing problems, it is not due to mental retardation or lack of intelligence. 

The severity of dyslexia can vary from mild to severe. The sooner dyslexia is treated, the more favorable the outcome, it is never too late for people with dyslexia to learn to improve their language skills. Letter and number reversal is one of the common signs of dyslexia and can be diagnosed by reviewing a child's  processing of information from seeing, hearing and participating in activities.

Dyslexia can go undetected in the early ages 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. Behavior 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.

Primary dyslexia, secondary dyslexia, and trauma dyslexia are believed to be the three main types of dyslexia that can cause these impairments:

• Primary dyslexia is generally considered hereditary and probably afflicts more men than women. Experts think this type of dyslexia happens because of a left-brain dysfunction. Many people with this type of dyslexia will be able to learn to read, spell, write, and perform basic mathematics problems, but will generally never be able to progress beyond the level of a normal nine or ten-year-old child.

• Secondary dyslexia is a type of dyslexia that is believed to occur due to problems in early childhood or even fetal development. It is also believed to affect more men than women. With specialized education techniques and training, many people with secondary dyslexia find their impairments greatly diminished by the time they reach adulthood.

• Trauma dyslexia is a type of dyslexia that can affect those who suffer trauma to the reading and writing centers of the brain. It usually only occurs after an injury to the head, and is therefore usually more common in adults than in young children.

The type of dyslexia treatment usually depends on the diagnosis of the condition after an evaluation of the child’s learning disabilities and individual needs. When a traumatic brain injury causes dyslexia, the treatment plan may focus on restoring the brain functions that affect writing and reading. If the brain is dysfunctional due to a hereditary condition, treatment is usually a remedial approach to resolve the problems that interfere with a child’s ability to learn. In cases of developmental dyslexia — where a child might have hormonal development issues before birth — treatment plans tend to stimulate the child’s weaknesses for learning. however asking  questions is probably one of the most important factors in choosing an appropriate treatment for your child’s dyslexia. In addition to this alternative treatments are commonly recommended.

Perhaps the most important aspect of any treatment plan is attitude. The child will be influenced by the attitudes of the adults around them. Dyslexia should not become an excuse for a child to avoid written work. Because the academic demands on a child with dyslexia may be great and the child may tire easily, work increments should be broken down into appropriate chunks. Frequent breaks should be built into class and homework time. Reinforcement should be given for efforts as well as achievements. Alternatives to traditional written assignments should be explored and utilized. Teachers are learning to deliver information to students in a variety of ways that are not only more interesting but helpful to students who may learn best by different techniques. 

A number of research associate dyslexia with a deficiency of unsaturated fatty acids, like the ones found in fish. Hence, children whose mothers consume a lot of oily fish and tuna are less likely to have dyslexia, In fact, adding these fish oil supplements to dyslexic children’s diets can make a huge difference. Fish oil supplements containing omega3 fatty acids top this list.

Other recommended supplements for dyslexia treatment are:

• Bee pollen - contains necessary minerals and vitamins.
• Royal jelly –contains vitamin B complex.
• Multi-minerals - aids in proper composition and body function.
• Gingko biloba – helps increase circulation in the brain 
• Vitamin C
• B complex B1, B5, B12
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Selenium

please note the above mentioned natural supplements can't be considered a "cure" for dyslexia, but they surely make a huge difference in the treatment of dyslexia.