Problems with Reading (Dyslexia)

Symptoms:

Slow reading, substituting words, rearranging letters and words, headaches from reading, guessing at words, rereading over and over, extreme concentration, sounding out each word, memorizing rather than understanding and avoiding reading.

Cause:

· A dyslexic comprehends by picturing the meanings of each word read. Words such as : the, as, by, was, etc. aren’t pictured and result in confusion.

· Words with no “pictures” also disorient the dyslexic. Disorientation causes the dyslexic to see and hear things differently than they actually are. This creates mistakes.

· Phonetic programs do not resolve the blank pictures.

Correction — Dyslexics learn how to:

· Make pictures for the confusing words using a process that incorporates the creation of clay models.

· Recognize when they are disoriented and learn how to orient themselves.

· Train their eyes to move from left to right, allowing their brain to see the letters and the words in the proper sequence.

Problems with Writing (Dysgraphia)

Symptoms:

Messy printing or writing, hand getting tired or sore quickly, avoiding writing, reversing letters and numbers, writing words backwards, writing letters out of order, slow and laborious writing.

Cause:

· The individual may have been disoriented when being taught how to form the letters or write the words.

· So much instruction has been given that the person has multiple mental images of letters and words superimposed upon each other.

· The dysgraphic is unable to make certain lines, such as diagonals and curves.

· Mistakes and uncertainty cause stress, leading to a very tight grip.

Correction:

· Individuals learn to recognize when they are disoriented and learn how to orient themselves.

· Neural pathways are opened and strengthened to perceive and write lines accurately.

· Multiple images of superimposed letters are replaced by one standard alphabet.

· Dysgraphics learn how to release stress in their pencil grip.

Poor Spelling

Symptoms:

Reversing letters, inconsistent spelling, spelling phonetically, mixing up c and k; b and p; d and q; w and m; ph and f, etc.

Cause:

· When disorientation occurs, the individual sees the letters three- dimensionally, as if they were floating free in space.

· Because of disorientations, the person often doesn’t see consistent spellings of the same word.

· Being a picture thinker, the individual does not naturally make a mental image of the letters that make up that word.

Correction - Individuals learn to:

· Recognize when they are disoriented and learn how to orient themselves.

· Train their eyes to move from left to right, familiarizing their brain with the sequence of the letters in each word.

· Make the written word along with the clay model.

ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), ADHD (with hyperactivity)

There exist many labels and systems for organizing the various manifestations of ADD, as is true of dyslexia. We use the term ADD to designate the general cluster.

Symptoms:

Lack of concentration, tired in school or while reading, easily distracted, impulsive, disorganized, often late, inconsistent (one day they can do something, the next day they can’t), problems following instructions, doesn’t plan ahead, unable to wait their turn, difficulty forming/keeping relationships with others, seems not to listen, frequent inability to sit still.

Cause:

· The individual is hyper-focusing/concentrating, instead of simply paying attention. Heavy concentration produces rote learning and fatigue.

· Disorientation may cause this person’s internal clock either to speed up—making every minute of actual time seem like two minutes, for example-or to slow down, often making the person late, as time seems to “fly by.”

· Boredom may occur more frequently, as this is a picture thinker, and picture thinking is 200 to 2,000 times faster than verbal thinking. When bored, one of two things may occur:

- Disorientation into creative imagination (daydreaming).

- Attention shift to some other stimulus in the area (distractibility or inattention).

· Disorientation also plays a large role in impulsivity, inconsistencies, and disorganization, as the individual is experiencing any number of perceptual distortions, i.e. is not aware of others, or not aware that he or she is placing an object in a particular place.

· Disorientation can cause a distortion in the sense of balance and movement. While sitting, the person may experience a sense of moving and imbalance and therefore will need to move in order to reverse the sensations (movement paradoxically makes the individual feel as though he is sitting still—this may explain why stimulants such as Ritalin® work in reverse and seem to slow down a person.

Correction — Individuals with ADD issues learn to:

· Recognize when they are disoriented and learn how to orient themselves.

· Control their natural distortion of time.

· Work through the meanings and application of such concepts as time, order, sequence, and other relevant concepts in clay.

Note: Creative Learning Solutions does not use drugs or herbs, but rather gives the client control over disorientations associated with hyperactivity.

Problems with Math (Dyscalculia)

Symptoms:

trouble sequencing or counting, memorizing formulas rather than understanding, number reversal, extreme concentration with math work, general difficulty with math.

Cause:

· Disorientation causes the dyscalculic to experience time inconsistently. Without a sense of time, the concepts of sequence and order are difficult to understand and implement. These are building blocks upon which all math is based.

· If numbers and formulas are merely symbols, rather than real concepts, math can only be learned through memorization, not understanding.

Correction — Individuals learn to:

· Master the meanings of numerals and operation symbols using clay.

· Master the underlying concepts of mathematics, such as time, sequence, and order.

· Gain a concrete understanding of mathematical functions through hands-on activities.

Problems with Coordination (Dyspraxia)

Symptoms:

clumsiness, frequent accidents, problems with stairs, need to watch the ground when walking, dizziness or nausea while reading, poor sense of direction, difficulty with handwriting, etc.

Cause:

· Disorientation: coordination is lost by triggers in the immediate environment or by symbols that must be deciphered

· Inaccurate perception: coordination is generally poor.

Correction—Dyspraxics learn to:

· Recognize when they are disoriented and learn how to orient themselves in order to perceive the environment accurately.

· Find their optimum orientation point (fine tuning) so that perception will be more accurate and coordination will improve.