Avoid this unscientific claptrap
Do NOT waste your money on this book. What are the author's academic credentials to be an "expert" on dyslexia? None. Even the cover of the book, with the letter facing backward, is a sign of ignorance. Dyslexia is NOT a vision-based problem and those with dyslexia do NOT "see things backwards." If they did, wouldn't they reach for the doorknob on the wrong side of the door??? And they don't do that.
Dyslexia is a language-based condition.
To understand dyslexia, you must look at the functioning of the brain to see what parts "light up" when someone tries to read. Functional MRI studies at Georgetown, Yale, Bowman Gray (Wake Forest), Johns Hopkins, and many other medical schools show that the neural pathways of the brains of those with dyslexia are different than those of people without dyslexia. The studies also show that when an individual with dyslexia receives science-based reading instruction (also called "multisensory structured language" or MSL), those neural pathways actually change and "normalize" as the individual learns to read. MSL instruction requires systematic, structured, intensive, explicit, and multisensory instruction in how the sounds of our language work, alone and in combination with other sounds.
If you really want to help your child with dyslexia, read "Overcoming Dyslexia" by Sally Shaywitz, M.D., of Yale University School of Medicine. She is one of this country's most respected experts on dyslexia and a passionate advocate for dyslexic children and adults. She is a pediatrician, a neuroscientist, and a medical school professor at Yale. She was the chair of the National Institute of Health's National Reading Panel (NRP). Compare THOSE qualifications to those of the author of this book! (You might also search for Guinevere Eden, Ph.D., at Georgetown, president of the International Dyslexia Association, the country's leading non-profit organization devoted to dyslexia education.)
Her book translates the complex science of dyslexia research into plain language we parents can understand. Also, take at look at the websites for the non-profit International Dyslexia Association; the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University; and the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. Also, search for "Shaywitz" on I-tunes; there are 2 great and free podcasts there.
Because of science-based reading instruction, my dyslexic son, identified at age 6, is now 16 and reads at the 99th percentile on national tests of reading and comprehension. Look to science, not anecdotal fluff. DO YOUR RESEARCH and be skeptical. Look for credentials. The author of this book, for example, has made himself wealthy with this commercial claptrap. Your child doesn't have time to waste. The ideal time to intervene is age 5 or 6. If you're not reading at grade level by 3rd grade, there is only a 1 in 6 chance that you ever will read at grade/age level. Get going, Mom or Dad: Your child is counting on you to be his/her INFORMED advocate!
I'm trying this with my nephew
I am most of the way through the exercises in this book with my nephew who has been diagnosed with dyslexia. The theories make a lot of sense, but we have not solved anything yet
A God Send Book
I'm Dyslexic, Dyscalculic, and Gifted. This book answered so many questions that I had about "me". It is well written and was never boring. I bought a copy for my Dad also. He thought it was a good book also, seeing that all of these LD's run in families. I truly recommend this book for individuals with LD's. It's also good for parents that have children who have them and for teachers who need a better understanding of what a student may be going through in the classroom. It brought tears to my eyes when remembering my school years and the mis-understanding that people had towards me. This book was and is a God-send to me and will be for many others who suffer from Learning Differences (LD's)
helpful
this book was a blessing to find for nephew who was just diagnosed with dyslexia. great condition.
The Gift of Dyslexia
This is a great book full of loads of information. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has dyslexia or believes that they might have dyslexia.
