Special routines designed to tap into reflexes left over from birth can lead to better co-ordination for people suffering from dyslexia, improving both reading and writing abilities and greatly boosting the sufferer's confidence and self-esteem. These are the findings of psychologist Martin McPhillips of The Dyslexia Project, a joint venture between the UK's Queen's University and The Royal Maternity Hospital, Belfast.
McPhillips' work is featured in an article published today in the February edition of The Psychologist magazine.
McPhillips looked at the movements made by the fetus in the womb and saw that certain "primary reflexes" (such as the palmar reflex, whereby a baby will grasp your hand if you place your finger on its palm) assist the fetus' development.
But after birth, the infant starts to adapt to its new upright position, and "secondary reflexes" take over, allowing the baby to walk around.
McPhillips found that many of the dyslexic children he worked with still possessed strong primary reflexes, limiting their ability to perform skills such as following words on a page or holding a pencil.
Based on that finding, McPhillips developed a series of movements and exercises designed to switch off the primary reflexes and promote coordination. The technique has so far been highly successful, and it is thought that it could be incorporated into school PE programs, helping not only dyslexics, but also the estimated five to ten per cent of school children who have some form of learning disability.
(Reference: The Psychologist, Thursday 1 February 2001.)
29-Jan-2001
