Confused About Dyslexia? Too Many Differing Opinons?
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The bottom line to the question of “What is dyslexia?” is that few researchers agree, and too many children can't read because they are dyslexic.

1. Scientific/Medical definitions of what is dyslexia
2. Theories on dyslexia  
3. New ideas on dyslexia find maintaining brain integration necessary
4. LD Coach approach to learning to Read 
5. Capable child can't read
6. Teach your child to read

Let's Start With the Science

Mosleys “Medical Dictionary” (6th edition, 2002, p.561) says that: 

Dyslexia is an impairment of the ability to read, as a result of a variety of pathological conditions, some of which are associated with the central nervous system.  Dyslexic persons often reverse letters and words, and cannot adequately distinguish the letter sequences in written words, and have difficulty determining left from right.

 

Taber’s “Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary” (15th edition,1986 , p504) defines dyslexia as:

A condition in which an individual with normal vision is unable to interpret written language. Exact cause is unknown, but thought to be due to a CNS defect in ability to organize graphic symbols.

 

“The Merck Manual of Medical Information” (Home Edition; New York: Pocket Books, 1997, p. 1255) says that: 

Dyslexia is primarily a specific language-based learning disability that interferes with learning words and reading despite average or above-average intelligence, adequate motivation and educational opportunities, and normal eyesight and hearing….  Dyslexia is caused mostly by deficiencies in the processing of sounds and spoken language by the brain.  The deficiencies are present from birth, affect word decoding, and may cause spelling and writing problems.”

The researchers at Three In One Concepts (Designers of “Basic One Brain,” Burbank, CA;1987, chapter 1-3) believe that:

"In almost every instance, 'learning dysfunctions' – popularly termed 'dyslexia' – result from emotional stress at the time of learning, a stress so intense that the individual programs in a blind spot to a given learning skill due to fear, fear of pain or pain itself….  Dyslexia results from a denial that learning is possible in a specific area of life experience.  This denial comes from a conscious choice made in a moment of intense emotional stress.  It’s a simple neurological function, not a 'dysfunction' at all."  

 

Charles Krebs (1998, p. 190-191) says that:

"Brain integration is very fragile, in the sense that it is largely determined by your stress levels.  Even the most well integrated person, given enough stress of a specific type, will lose integration and become temporarily dys-functional.  One of the major differences between people is the type of stress and the extent of stress required to cause loss of brain integration."

 

"In a sense we are all dyslexics, or learning disabled under certain circumstances."

"People who already suffer poor access or poor integration are already in a state of partial loss of brain integration and hence need very little extra stress to become totally dysfunctional. This may occur largely in one area of function.  For example, they will look at a math question and won’t even know where to begin.  They will state: 'I’m hopeless at math,' not recognising that they have merely lost integrated brain function in that particular [brain] sphere.  They have not lost their intelligence."

A Historical Survey of Dyslexia Diagnosis

In 1896, W. Pringle Morgan decided that dyslexia, specifically the inability to read and write, was a visual problem.  However, subsequent ophthalmology-based solutions proved ineffective, and nothing could be found “wrong” with the vision of a dyslexic when it was tested. 

 

In 1910, Fisher decided that dyslexia was the result of a developmental brain impairment of the angular gyri of the cerebral hemispheres – in this brain area visual input and recalled language sounds are worked together.  Galu Burden and Temper in 1979 declared that lesions and alterations in the temporal lobes were responsible for dyslexia – language centers are found in these lobes.  John Stein and Fowler in 1982 believed that ocular-motor deficits were the cause of dyslexia.  

 

Recently developed imaging procedures show that brain activity is different in a dyslexic than in a normal reader, and it differs for the kind of task performed and for any variation in the circumstances while performing the brain activity.  Increased activity in the forebrain is seen in the dyslexic as he reads, and this suggests that he must work harder (i.e., use more of his brain) to find a way to make written characters into sounds and words that he recognizes and can use. (“Dyslexia and the New Science of Reading.”   Newsweek, November 22, 1999; p.72-79.)  

The theories about the “cause” of dyslexia are many, and most describe a break-down in the function of the brain and sensory systems.

 

The message to the public in the past has been that there is a “problem” in the function of the dyslexic’s brain, perhaps a pathology, which must be overcome. 

 

The implication to parents and children has been that the “hardware” of the brain is deficient and that there is something “wrong” with their poor learners.

Over the years, parents, tutors and teachers have attempted to overcome a student’s inability to read and write with extra, extensive practice sessions aimed at developing phonetic skills. They used enlarged letters to aid vision, and phonetics training and rote memorization to conquer the alphabet and numbers.  And still, too many children read and write poorly.

Recent Theories About Dyslexia 

Maintaining Brain Integration is Essential in Order to Learn 

 

Imaging studies of the brain (fMRI studies – functional magnetic resonance imaging studies) clearly show that thinking and processing input the brain during reading occurs in a way that is very different than we have previously imagined.  Based on these studies, new ideas are surfacing to explain how thinking works in the brain.  

 

 

 

Charles Krebs' Brain Integration and Learning Research

 

The work of Charles Krebs (“A Revolutionary Way of Thinking,” 1998) indicates that enabling and maintaining brain integration is the key to enhancing the ability to learn, as long as organic damage is not the main limiting factor. Krebs states:

“[The] multi-level integration of the functions of many disparate areas in the brain, both conscious and subconscious, I term ‘brain integration’.” (Krebs, p. 181) 

“In every school, in every class, there are a few kids who have a kind of slowness about them.  They are slow because their mental processing is so confused that there is a much greater time delay in doing most tasks....” (Krebs p. 186) 

“All specific learning difficulties result either from (1) a lack of access to specific brain functions, or (2) the inability to efficiently integrate those functions we do access. Many functions, like reading and spelling, require the use of both Logic and Gestalt lead functions simultaneously and in highly integrated patterns.” (Krebs, p. 174)

 

The LD Coach Approach is Simple: Fit the Teaching Style to the Child's Style of Learning

Bill Allen, the designer of The Learning to Read Program recognizes that:

 

The learning disability associated with the dyslexic’s inability to read, write, do math or otherwise work with written characters most often results from the lack of a fit of the individual’s style of thinking with the teaching skills he is being given to learn English, or any of the languages of the western world.

Most often, it is a brain function (“software”) problem rather than a brain damage (“hardware”) problem that blocks learning.

When the child’s locus of thinking remains primarily in the 3-dimensional, multi-sensory processing (Gestalt thinking) areas of his brain, as it is during his early development, the  child does not tend to initiate his thinking with the linear, abstract thinking (Logic thinking) areas of his brain. He usually lacks the ability to integrate well his Gestalt-initiated brain functions (big picture, multi-sensory thinking) with his Logic-initiated brain functions (linear, logical, sequenced and abstract thinking).  This puts the multi-sensory thinking child at risk for developing learning disabilities. His learning style is not suited to the linear, largely 2-dimensional, logical style of teaching available in most schools.

In the western speaking world, there is a very high occurrence of dyslexia. In contrast, dyslexia occurs seldom in China - until an individual wants to learn English.  We believe that the low occurrence of dyslexia in China is due to the pictorial nature of the Chinese language.  It is a language filled with sensory experience. Each character and word has an associated sensory experience.  Since 3-dimensional significance can be associated with every 2-dimensional written character in Chinese (and, there are over 10,000 characters), Chinese characters “make sense” to the Chinese child.  

In the English language, There are at least 290 Commonly Used Stumble Words, Punctuation Marks and Abstract Symbols.

 

Some examples of stumble words are: a, and, the, he, she, that, on, if. These words and all abstract symbols have no sensory experience associated with them. Therefore, specific techniques are required to learn to read and write them.

 

Abstract words and symbols gain meaning when they are associated with concrete, sensory experiences of using them, or when they are explained in already meaningful abstract terms that are associated with sensory experiences and meaning. The sad fact is that all of the techniques that are required to learn how to read and understand abstract words and characters are not always known and made available to children in our schools.

What About Capable Children Who Still Cannot Read Well?

Some children may be slow, stumble and make mistakes, and they may get to the right answer with time and effort that exceeds that needed by other children.  Children who develop learning disabilities may have begun as the children mentioned above.  However, along the way, they have had so few successes that they have found no reward to pursuing learning. Instead, they have learned avoidance behaviors and ineffective educational skills which eliminate the pain and disappointment of failing again at a task. 

 

What is so confounding about these children is that they may be so obviously brilliant in such areas as speech, innovative ideas, athletics, dance, art, drama, music, inventing, fixing things and strategy.

 

These children are typically very innovative and can verbally express or physically perform what they know eloquently in their areas of excellence. 

 

How can they be so skilled with the spoken language, the arts, movement in space and creative expression when they are so poor at learning in school?

Researchers note that the spoken word and the use of speech began at least 100,000 years ago, while use of the written word dates back only 5,000 years.  It seems that the ability to speak has become “hard-wired” into the genetic inheritance and development of a child, while the ability to read has not. Reading is an acquired skill that has to be taught to us.

Debates abound about which style of teaching reading is the “right” one. There are proponents of whole word teaching, of phonics education, and of phoneme instruction. Each camp has its own rationale to describe how its teaching style is the cure-all for dyslexia.  And yet, too many children read poorly. 

 

In fact, it appears that there is no one teaching method that works for all children. More realistically, a teacher needs a broad repertoire of teaching styles and the ability to individualize the sequencing and presentation of multiple reading skills for the needs of his children. The Learning to Read Program and the MELT™ techniques provide a solution to this dilemma and can be individualized to your learner’s needs.

Empower Your Child Today!

Confusion, and ultimatley brain dis-integration, occurs when teaching does not provide the tools the student requires to learn.  Repetition and rote memorization are often as a crutch used by the confused student who hopes to perform better.  Neither process produces understanding and comprehension.

 

Comprehension of the Meaning of Stumble Words does not develop unless all parts of the stumble words are provided at the same time, and the student has an integrated sensory experience of the stumble word.  The child must know, all in the same moment, what the word looks like, sounds like, and means or shows in order to understand and recognize it.