learning disabilities

Following dysgraphia or dyslexia diagnoses; Supporting the brain

Skye Learning Disabilities ,
Perth Dysgraphia and dyslexia diagnosis

Has your child been diagnosised with dysgraphia or dyslexia?

I know how worrying this must be for you. It is for many parents and carers; you aren’t alone. Even better, help is available.

In this article, we’ll clarify a few misconceptions about dysgraphia and dyslexia, give you some signs to look out for, explain why children have dysgraphia or dyslexia symptoms, and what we can do to support your child’s developing brain.

Dysgraphia and dyslexia are known as specific learning difficulties (SpLD).

Specific learning difficulties or diagnoses can sometimes stem from problems with central nervous system (CNS) function resulting from retained neonatal reflexes.

Are dysgraphia and dyslexia interchangeable?

No. Dysgraphia and dyslexia are not the same. Dysgraphia is difficulty writing; dyslexia is difficulty reading. They do not necessarily occur together: your child can have one, or the other, or both.

What are the signs my child has dysgraphia or dyslexia?

Signs your child may have dysgraphia include:

  • They have messy handwriting
  • They are unable to put their thoughts down on paper
  • Tight, awkward pencil grip and body position when writing
  • Attention and focus issues at school
  • Difficulty telling shapes apart, or spacing letters
  • Trouble organizing words from left to right
  • Inability to stay within the margins of a page
  • Inability to use scissors, or hold a pencil correctly
  • Difficulty with fine motor tasks, such as tying shoelaces, doing up buttons, and picking things up
  • Unable to follow directions or rules in games
  • They often spell words incorrectly, and mix up upper (capital) and lower (small) case letters
  • They avoid writing
  • They don’t write in complete sentences
  • They have trouble telling stories
  • They leave out important facts and details of a story.

 

Signs your child may have dyslexia include:

  • Difficulty learning and using spoken and written language
  • Difficulty breaking down, combining, or manipulating word sounds
  • Difficulty converting letters to sounds
  • Slow, inaccurate reading
  • Difficulty recognizing age-appropriate sight words
  • Difficulty learning to spell correctly
  • Difficulty learning and remembering words with more than one syllable
  • Limited reading comprehension
  • Their spoken language skills are stronger than their written skills
  • Difficulty quickly naming color, object, and letter sequences
  • They need to see or hear concepts many times before learning them
  • Distracted by sights or sounds
  • A drop in school performance
  • Inconsistent school work
  • Their teachers may say, ‘If only they’d try harder with their reading’.

 

What causes dysgraphia and dyslexia symptoms?

Dysgraphia and dyslexia symptoms (along with all other learning difficulties) are not connected to low intelligence at all.

We are all born with a set of reflexes that protect our bodies (via involuntary movement), build muscle tone, and create brain connections. These are referred to using various names, including neonatal reflexes, foetal reflexes, primary reflexes, newborn reflexes, developmental reflexes, atavistic reflexes, and most commonly (though not necessarily the best term), primitive reflexes.

Children’s bodies normally integrate these reflexes as they develop, and their brains become more advanced. But in some cases, their bodies retain these reflexes for longer than is needed. This can prevent children’s brains and CNS from maturing in the ideal timeframe, which affects higher brain function and voluntary movement patterns.

When this happens, there can be a ‘battle’ going on between their neonatal reflexes and the voluntary movement and higher level thinking they need to learn, including reading and writing skills. Consequently, dysgraphia and dyslexia symptoms can result.

So what may seem like an inability or unwillingness to learn may actually be beyond your child’s control.

Will my child grow out of their dysgraphia or dyslexia?

Not on their own, no.

Dysgraphia or dyslexia symptoms often stem from retained neonatal reflexes. These neonatal reflexes are generally inhibited or ‘put to sleep’ between 4-6 months of age. Once this sensitive period has passed, the integration no longer happens through maturation. Children will no longer ‘grow out of’ these reflexes. Many adults with the same kind of symptoms would have retained neonatal reflexes. The window of opportunity has essentially closed. However, Retrain the brain offers therapies that go back and give the brain a second chance at integrating these reflexes.

Children whose dysgraphia or dyslexia symptoms are not addressed may experience frustration, delayed learning and development, and self-esteem challenges. They will certainly notice they are different to their classmates.

What do I do now?

I can help you and your child by performing a non-invasive assessment (an assessment of your child’s physical abilities), which allows me to then treat the symptoms of dysgraphia & or dyslexia.

This assessment and treatment can also help with any other learning difficulties your child may be experiencing. The assessment detects any retained reflexes, and identifies signs of immaturity in many areas: from the general coordination and balance your child needs for posture and sitting still, to the eye movements and coordination they need to read, write, copy, or catch a ball.

Is there anything that can be done to help my child with dysgraphia and dyslexia?

Yes. The good news is that a lot of dysgraphia and dyslexia symptoms can be resolved.

How?

Our brains have the ability to change in response to our experiences. With retraining, anyone’s brain can change, including your child’s.

I use two methods to support you or your child to integrate their retained neonatal reflexes. Both are totally drug-free and non-invasive therapies. ‘Brain Therapy for Neonatal Reflexes and General Reflexes in Adults and Children’ was developed by Bruno Chikly of the Chikly Health Institute.

The second method (called the INPP method because it was created by the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology) is movement-based therapy.

Both methods focus on why your child’s dysgraphia or dyslexia exist. Unlike some other therapies, they treat the underlying cause of the symptoms (CNS immaturity), and not just the symptoms themselves.

Once I’ve completed an assessment, I can evaluate and quickly treat your child’s reflexes and ultimately the cause of the learning difficulties.

Once the underlying cause is pinpointed and treated, many of your child’s symptoms will disappear.

How do I know this therapy will work?

Retrain the Brain offers research-based programs proven to support your child’s brain development, learning, and health. The INPP was established in 1975. Since then they’ve developed trusted ways to pinpoint and assess signs of CNS immaturity in children.

Parts of the INPP method have also been independently researched via more than 20 studies published in peer-reviewed journals.

I’ve been trained in both the INPP method and in Brain Therapy for Neonatal Reflexes and General Reflexes in Adults and Children. I’ve seen first hand that they work. I’d love to help make a difference to you and your child.

Your child’s dysgraphia or dyslexia symptoms are common and more importantly, there is help available. For an initial interest pack to see if an assessment would be helpful, please contact me.

Does your child need a learning difficulties assessment?

Skye Learning Disabilities , ,
learning difficulties assessment

If you’re reading this, you may be concerned that your child has learning difficulties, and needs a learning difficulties assessment. If so, you’re certainly not alone. Many children and their parents or careers have the same experience.

Here we’ll discuss what learning difficulties actually are, the symptoms your child may be displaying, why children have them, and how a learning difficulties assessment can help. Click here for more info

What are learning difficulties?

Firstly, let’s define learning difficulties. Learning difficulties describes a set of challenges children can have when learning and/or applying listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, movement, or numerical skills. These challenges usually start to appear between the ages of 4 and 7, but they can also start earlier. Please know that learning difficulties are in no way connected to low intelligence.

We might shrug them off by thinking or saying that our children are ‘off with the fairies’, or ‘easily distracted’, however there may be a deeper issue.

What are the signs my child needs a learning difficulties assessment?

The signs (symptoms) of a learning difficulty aren’t the same in all children, and can vary significantly from one child to the next. They include:

Why can't my child learn maths Joondanna
  • Difficulty writing
  • Difficulty speaking
  • Speech articulation problems
  • Problems writing
  • Problems reading
  • Problems spelling
  • Problems with math
  • Difficulty telling time
  • Problems concentrating
  • Problems with attention span
  • Inability to sit still
  • Inability to stay silent
  • Educational underachievement
  • Problems processing auditory input
  • Difficulties learning to swim
  • Difficulties learning to ride a two-wheeled bike
  • Clumsiness
  • Coordination or hand-eye coordination difficulties
  • Difficulty learning to dress (doing up buttons, tying shoelaces, putting clothes on the right way around)
  • Difficulty using a knife and fork
  • Difficulty catching a ball
  • Immature pencil grip
  • Physical education difficulties
  • Your child doesn’t yet consistently favor one side of the body (left or right hand, foot, or ear)
  • Travel sickness
  • Was early (10 months) or late (16 months) to learn to walk
  • Was late to learn to talk
  • Poor impulse control

The Underlying challenges behind many learning disability diagnoses

Specific learning difficulties or learning disability diagnoses can sometimes stem from problems with central nervous system (CNS) function. These challenges can include:

What affects CNS function and therefore learning difficulties?

All children are born with an essential group of reflexes that protect their bodies (via involuntary movement), develop muscle tone, and create brain connections. These are called ‘neonatal reflexes and general reflexes’.

Children’s bodies usually integrate or ‘turn off’ these reflexes as they develop and as their brains become more sophisticated. But in some cases, their bodies ‘hang on’ to these reflexes for longer than they really need them. This can prevent children’s brains and CNS from maturing in the optimal timeframe, limiting higher brain function and voluntary movement patterns.

This creates a ‘battle’ between the old reflexes (involuntary movement your child was born with) and the voluntary movement and other skills they need to learn.

So what may seem like an inability or unwillingness to learn may actually be beyond your child’s control.

Does my child really need help with infant reflexes?

Yes. Here’s why: your child’s first five years are critical to their brain development, learning, and mental health. Children’s brains develop very quickly during that time, when the right kind of stimulation can make all the difference to your child’s development, and their ability to do well at school.

Even if your child is already at school and showing symptoms, it’s OK. With Retrain the Brain, you can start again and give your child a second chance, making their learning and life easier. It all starts with a learning difficulties assessment. Click here for more information.

Children whose learning difficulties aren’t addressed may experience delayed learning and physical development, and self-esteem challenges. They will certainly notice they are different from their classmates.

My child needs a learning difficulties assessment – what do I do now?

I can help you and your child by performing a detailed, non-invasive learning difficulties assessment (an assessment of your child’s physical abilities).

This assessment helps to detect any retained reflexes, and identifies signs of immaturity in many areas: from the general coordination and balance your child needs for posture and sitting still, to the eye movements and coordination they need to read, write, copy, or catch a ball.

Is there anything that can be done to help my child?

Absolutely, yes! The good news is that these challenges are far from permanent. They can be resolved.

How?

Have you heard the term ‘neuroplasticity’? It’s more than a buzzword. It refers to the brain changing in response to our experiences. Yes, your brain can change! Anyone’s brain can change through retraining, including your child’s.

I offer two methods for reflex integration which help the maturation of you or your child’s CNS. They are drug-free, non-invasive programs. The first is Brain Therapy for Neonatal Reflexes and General Reflexes in Adults and Children.

The second method (called the INPP method because it was created by the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology) is movement-based therapy.

Both methods focus on why your child’s learning difficulties exist. Unlike some other therapies, they treat the underlying cause (CNS immaturity) and not just the symptoms I’ve listed above.

Following a complete assessment, I can evaluate and treat your child’s learning difficulty symptoms.

And guess what? Once the underlying cause is identified and treated, a lot of your child’s symptoms will disappear.

How do I know this therapy will work?

Retrain the Brain offers research-based programs proven to support your child’s brain development, learning, and health. The INPP has been around since 1975. Since that time, they have developed reliable methods of identifying and assessing signs of CNS immaturity in children and adults.

Parts of the INPP method have also been independently researched via over 20 studies published in peer-reviewed journals.

I’ve received training in the INPP method and in Brain Therapy for Neonatal Reflexes and General Reflexes in Adults and Children and I know they work; I’ve seen it happen. I’d love to help make a difference for you and your child’s learning and life.

Please know there’s help out there! You’re not alone. Your child’s learning difficulties are common and more importantly, there is a solution. For an initial interest pack to see if a learning difficulties assessment would be helpful, please contact me.

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