Dyslexia treatment
Most treatments for dyslexia revolve around the teaching of what are called ‘phonological skills’. The fundamental aim is to make the disabled reader aware of the link between letters and sounds, so that these can be related to reading and spelling. It’s accepted that individuals with dyslexia require significantly more practice to master reading skills. Whereas, typical children need 30 to 60 hours of training, those with dyslexia might require between 80 and 100 hours or more – and that’s being optimistic.
Sound thinking
A number of other ‘sound-based’ treatments are also available, of which one of the most well known is a programme called FastForword. The programme tries to get over the problem by teaching sounds in words which have been ‘stretched’ out to allow the dyslexic to recognise the subtle audio changes more easily.
Visual theory
Another approach to treating dyslexia is through the visual system. The visual theory of dyslexia suggests that there is a processing problem with the way visual information is relayed to the brain and used to aid the reading process.
Numerous kinds of therapy are available, but the most common is the use of tinted lenses. These lenses adjust the different types of light which enter the eye. The theory is that the affected system can process the light more easily and thereby allow more efficient functioning of the system.
There is much controversy about this and it appears that not all dyslexics have the problem. It suggests that there are probably different types of causes of dyslexia, all of which require different approaches to show improvement.
Other options
Other treatments include optometry, as there is some evidence to show that dyslexics struggle to control the rapid eye movements required to read smoothly. This might explain why some dyslexics complain about print jumping around on a page or why they need to track with their fingers to read efficiently. Here, eye exercises are given to improve visual control.
There are many other treatments for dyslexia, some of which involve learning through association, so that words and spelling can be remembered through visual objects or mnemonics.
Overcoming dyslexia
So where does the Dore Programme fit into all this? Well, Dore differs from the rest because it aims higher. Dore opens doors by helping individuals to not merely cope with their difficulties but to overcome them. This is achieved by exercising the cerebellum, the brain’s skill centre, to improve its efficiency and to liberate each participant’s ability to learn - all through a personalised programme of physical activities.