Dr John B. Dunphy

One of the most frustrating, and in many cases, debilitating conditions (both emotionally and socially) that has plagued mankind, is a condition known as Dyslexia. Dyslexia is the best known terminology for a group of conditions dealing with the inability to properly process language, be it written, spoken or symbolic (numbers, for example). It does not manifest solely in the academic world of school, but involves every part of our existence. Just consider the following possibilities:

• Difficulty with reading, writing and mathematics.
• Difficulty in understanding words in normal conversation.
• Poor or non-existent sense of direction.
• Little or no concept of time.
• Inability to concentrate, even when involved in a particular activity, such as a game.
• Disequilibrium (balance dysfunction).
• Poor motor co-ordination.
• Constantly bumping into things or dropping things.
• Stuttering, hesitant speech, poor word recall.
• Inability to remember names.
• Sharp emotional or mood swings.
• Need to reread the same word or phrase to get any meaning out of it.
• Difficulty following sequential instructions or events.
• Difficulty in following motion or moving things (balls, people, traffic).
• Various phobias including height, motion-related (escalators, elevators, bridges, etc.).
• Gets lost easily or all the time.
• Unable to, or unsure in making decisions.
• Feelings of inferiority, stupidity or clumsiness.
• Inability to organise daily activities, particularly in allotting proper time.
• Doing opposite of what was told.
• Get drowsy, or tend to fall asleep while driving on a highway or open road.
• Any many, many more. This is a multifaceted condition, which escapes detection many times because of its diverse symptomatology.

Unfortunately, until recently, Dyslexia was not recognised as a specific problem, but was labelled Minimal Brain Damage, Psychosis of one sort or another, Inferior Mentality, Dumb, Lazy, Inattentive, etc. Some ideas die slowly. The concept that the various problems found in our school systems and society in general, are indeed Dyslexia in origin, has been ignored in many educational, law enforcement and other circles. Parents were told by paediatricians and educators alike that nothing was wrong. “He’s just immature.” “She’s not trying hard enough.” “He’s not paying attention.”  Parents were confused, teachers were frustrated and the child was tormented by failure, isolation, and the knowledge of being different. Nowhere was any help available.

Eye-tracking problems were recognised, and eye exercises, and/or special lenses were tried. Equilibrium faults were recognised, and various drugs were used to suppress these symptoms, and hyperactivity and attention deficits. Co-ordination faults were noticed and special exercises were devised. Allergies were finally recognised as contributory factors, and modified diets have been prescribed. Special educational protocols have been instituted with very limited success, in most cases. Any gain was considered a major breakthrough, and was hailed as a ‘cure’. For some it seemed to be, but nothing to date has been of any meaningful or lasting benefit. As soon as the special activity or drug was stopped, the symptoms returned with a vengeance. The child or adult always had to modify or over-compensate his or her lifestyle, to accommodate the limits imposed by this disability.

The majority of the investigators have determined that this complex disability is a bewildering combination of disorganisation within the nervous system.

Neurological Kinesiology…A Neural Organisation Technique

Applied Kinesiology, a speciality within Chiropractic, was discovered, researched, and developed by Rd. George Goodheart, D.C. et al., since 1964. It specifically deals with the integration of the nervous system and the body functions. It is ideally suited to give the best answer to this perplexing problem. Researchers have taken a giant step beyond the medical and other professionals involved in this and other conditions (Scoliosis, T.M.J, etc).

In 1982, Dr. Carl Ferrari, D.C., in researching the Applied Kinesiology concepts in relation to the survival mechanisms of the human species, recognised the relationship between his Neural Organisation Techniques, and the symptomatology of Dyslexia and all learning disabilities. Combining the organizational effects of the centering and righting reflex systems of the Cloacal, Labyrinthine and Ocular reflex mechanisms; the specific cranial faults found in all dyslexics and learning disabled; and a unique eye muscle fault found only in Dyslexics and the learning disabled, has led to an astounding reversal of all the problems  found in the Dyslexic and learning disability condition (to further confound the experts, as early as the first or second treatment, patients often report selective results).

Of course, in most cases, a series of treatments is necessary to refine and stabilise the initial corrections. However, no one has to wait a long time to know that changes have been made, and normal function is being, or has been established. The number of treatments varies with the individual patient. It is important to note that this procedure is done by hand, and no drugs or other foreign substances are ever used.

Outlook And Follow-Up….What To Expect

Although in most cases, once the corrections are made and stabilised, further treatment is rarely necessary. There are things that may cause loss in stabilisation and return of some symptoms. Any condition which is accompanied by high fever may cause destabilisation, as may allergies which were not stabilised. Emotional and physical trauma, particularly head injuries, should always be a reason for a complete re-evaluation. It is also recommended that after the initial treatment protocol has been completed, the patient returns every month or two for the first year, to make sure that all procedures were completed. Another consideration is that research is on-going, and since the original protocol was devised, many refinements have been added in an effort to make this procedure as complete as possible for every nuance the patient may present.

Catch-Up…How You Can Help

Once the proper neurological and structural corrections are made, the patient is able to learn what he or she was not able to learn before. Therefore, ‘catch-up’ is the name of the game.  It seems that approximately 10 hours of activity (reading, writing, speaking, etc.) are necessary to “programme the computer” for each function.

Because disorganisation and easy distraction have been part of their problem, the patient does not know how to study and learn. Structured time for studying and learning must be provided by the parents, or set aside by the adult to learn. There is no radio, TV, eating, going to the bathroom, etc. JUST LEARNING TIME. The family must co-operate . Cross pattern exercises, either in place, or as a march-type activity (right arm-left leg, left arm-right leg) are extremely beneficial, and in the beginning should be done 20 minutes per day. Because diaphragm control is usually weak, blowing balloons is a good exercise. Buy 100 balloons, blow one up, then blow it up again until it breaks; do one a day for 100 days.

With some effort and proper treatment, dyslexia and learning disabilities are treatable.