Is your child falling behind at school? Are they struggling with signs of dyslexia and finding learning to read and/or write is difficult?
Did you know that signs of dyslexia are often linked to immaturities in areas of sensory processing?
Can you answer YES to any of these?
- Easily losing their place when reading, skips lines or words
- Signs of ADHD or Dyslexia
- Avoids reading and written tasks
- Watery, red eyes when trying to read
- Eyes jump across the midline
- Unable to visually track a moving target
- Unable to bring eyes to converge on a single image
- Letter reversals
- Trouble copying from the board in a classroom
- Covers one eye when reading
- Short attention span
- Distracts others
- Excessively restless or fidgety
- Easily tired when reading or writing
- Smart but frustrated by inability to keep up with their peers
- Easily lose their place when reading
- Quickly forget what they have read
- Complain of headaches or blurred vision when reading
If you’ve said YES to several these, it is likely your child is struggling to process sensory information.
Dyslexia and Links to Sensory Processing
We take information in through our senses. This information then travels along our nervous system to our brain for processing. While all our senses work together, there are three main senses that support reading:
- balance – helps us to maintain an upright posture
- listening – processing what we are hearing
- vision – processing what we are seeing
In the Classroom
Writing
When learning to write, we need to be able to connect the spoken word with the written symbols. Before we can do this, we need to be able to “hear” or process the individual sounds, creating an inner awareness of sentences, words, phonics…
Reading
The ability to read develops from writing. We need to be able to process the visual images and connect these to the spoken word. To do this, we need good foundations in sensory processing.
Children that feel anxious or overwhelmed in the classroom will often inadvertently suppress the parts of their brain that processes speech. Feeling threatened, their behaviours become more visual, action-oriented and instinctive. You will probably notice them becoming restless and acting out, or dissociating and gazing out the window.
Children easily become frustrated when they see their friends achieving better results faster. Anxiety increases and self esteem drops, which can further disrupt learning.
As one child said “I know I’m not dumb, but why can’t I read as well as the others in my class?“
Supporting your Child’s Early Development
Preparation for reading starts in infancy. All that tummy time and early floor play is actually preparing them for learning to read. It builds the lower parts of their brains that are the foundation for later thinking and information processing.
Difficulties occur when this natural process of development has been disrupted. The solution is to go back and “fill in the gaps”, supporting your child’s lifelong learning. A simple assessment process can identify areas where your child is struggling.
An assessment will check for:
- Visual processing – how well can your child track a moving target, and converge their vision to focus on a single point. We also look for how well they are able to mirror an image.
- Listening – how well can your child process what they are hearing? Can they block out background sounds and focus on the. teacher’s voice?
- Sense of balance – can your child can maintain their balance when they take their eyes away from the horizon?
Relationship-based Sensory Development
Rather than pathologising or applying labels, I like to look for the message behind the behaviour. Simply focussing on the behaviour, we can miss the clues that this offers us to understanding the underlying cause.
A relationship-based sensory development approach can help to fill in the gaps missing from your child’s early development. The aim is to help build strong foundations for lifelong learning, helping your child to achieve to their potential to live a meaningful life.
Individual Support Program
The first step is to build a connection with your child. The counselling room is a place where your child can feel safe to express themselves. There is no pressure, no rush to succeed, and progress happens at your child’s own pace.
Activities may include craft, painting, play, movement, role-playing, music and dance. As Gabor Mate, in his recent book The Myth of Normal pointed out, “It is play that builds the brains that school can then use”. Play is also essential for emotional development.
Atmosphere of Fun and Playfulness
The aim in your child’s counselling session is to create an atmosphere of fun, playfulness and curiosity. Your child is accepted for who they are, and the gifts they bring to the world. In this way they are building pathways in their brain for learning without realising it!
School-based Sensorimotor Development Program
Perhaps your child’s school is interested in offering a generic sensory motor development program such as that developed by the Institute for Neuro-physiological Psychology (INPP). This has been well-researched and is based on understanding brain science and the importance of early stages of development as a foundation for all later learning.
Note: It’s also a good idea to make an appointment with a Developmental Optometrist to rule out any functional vision problems.
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Note: A diagnosis or referral is not necessary to see a Counsellor or Psychotherapist in Australia.
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About Rosalind
Since 2005 Rosalind has been helping children with learning and behavioural challenges such as autism, dyslexia, ADHD and other sensory processing difficulties. She brings an holistic, or whole child approach, to counselling, and is passionate about helping children to realise their individual potential. She has a private counselling practise and sees clients in person at Moruya South Head.
