Counseling Specialties
(click on the link below to learn more)
Attention Deficit Disorder - Autism - Dyslexia & other Learning Disorders - Sensory Processing Disorders
Dyslexia and Other Learning Disorders
The following is taken from
the web site
www.tomatis.com
Clinical experience shows that most individuals with dyslexia will be able to read, write and improve verbal skills just by tuning up their ears.
What is Dyslexia?
Although it is not known what exactly causes dyslexia, it is known that extremely brilliant people struggle with it. The main symptom of dyslexia is an inability to adequately process language. From person to person, this ability varies significantly. The only common factor seems to be that individuals with dyslexia read at levels significantly lower than others of similar age and intelligence.
Analyzing the Sounds
Reading, whether silent or out loud, has to do with processing sound. Sound is a complex mixture of frequencies with varying intensities. An ability to analyze frequencies and intensities is exceedingly difficult for a person with dyslexia.
Some sounds have nearly the same frequency, differing only in the higher harmonics. A person with dyslexia might misinterpret a “B” and a “P” or a “T” and a “D” which have similar base frequencies. It appears then, that the person with dyslexia has an auditory processing problem.
Ear/Eye Coordination
Reading is a complex act that requires the ears and eyes to work together synchronously. As the eyes see a letter, the ears identify the corresponding sound even when reading silently. Then, the vestibule (part of the inner ear) leads the eye from letter to letter and the cochlea (also a part of the inner ear) translates each letter into a sound. Ideally, both operations should happen almost simultaneously. The trouble starts when the delay is too long. If the vestibule and cochlea are not in sync, the eyes and ears are not in sync either.
To make things more complicated, each sound lasts a specific time. The ear constantly has to adjust to these rapid changes. When it does not, the eyes and ears are no longer in synch. The right sound is not put together with the right letter. The person with dyslexia is left second-guessing what the letter might be.
