Myomancy ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism

Find out what the Doctors and Teachers don't know about diagnosing and treating ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism

How My Dyslexia was Cured

The author and his niece

For thirty five years, I struggled with dyslexia. Poor spelling, bad handwriting and an appalling memory made school impossible and I dropped out when I was sixteen but even in the working world, I couldn't escape the problems my dyslexia caused me. Left to myself, I would fly through my work but when I had to communicate with colleagues and customers I hit a brick wall leaving me frustrated and angry.

Five years on, I'm no longer dyslexic. My spelling has radically improved, my handwriting is neat and legible and I can remember phone numbers, shopping lists and passwords. Is this the result of a miracle? No it is the result of science and hard work that helped develop those areas of my brain that were failing me. This blog, Myomancy, is dedicated to helping parents and adult sufferers of Dyslexia, ADHD and Autism understand how these problems effect the brain and what we can do about it.

A Word of Warning

The science and treatments discussed on Myomancy are controversial approaches in ADHD and Dyslexia because many researchers and teachers do not support them. Sometimes they are simply ignorant of the thirty or more years research supporting Myomancy's approach. Sometimes they feel threaten because they see children making massive progress after only a few months when they have spent years trying and failing to teach them.

Beware also of the promoters of treatments and "miracle cure's" who promise the world. The lives of people with ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism can be radically improved but it takes time, it takes hard work and it doesn't always work. Choosing the right approach for you or your child is hard. This is why Myomancy exists. Not to tell you what treatment is right for you but to give you the information you need to make the right choice.

What You Need To Know About ADHD and Dyslexia

Dyslexics and sufferers of ADHD almost always have an underdeveloped cerebellum. This fist-sized area of the brain sits on top of the spine and is the most primitive, reptilian, part of our brain. We've had it for millions of years, long before we learned to walk upright, think or talk. The cerebellum controls how we move and how we perceive the world. It is the brain and body's coordinator.

For children and adults with ADHD or dyslexia with an under-developed cerebellum their coordination fails them. The cerebellum simply cannot cope with the amount of work it has to do. Consequently physical skills requiring coordination such catching a ball or tying a shoe lace are very poor. Mental skills also need coordination. Learning to read involves linking the words on the pages with the sounds being read out but because the cerebellum is overwhelmed with information the sounds and images never match up. Self-control also suffers. When an ADHD child has an impulsive thought their cerebellum is too slow or overwhelmed to compare this impulse with past experiences or recent instructions such as "Sit still".

Underdeveloped Not Broken

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the cerebellum in someone with ADHD or Dyslexia. It simply hasn't developed at the same speed as the rest of the brain and may 'stick' at a level a maturity around that of a two to four year old. This is why many children with problems can appear very bright when using the areas of the brain that have developed in line with their chronological age, and very dumb when using the underdeveloped areas of the brain.

To solve this problem the cerebellum needs to be helped along in its development. Once it has matured enough (to a stage roughly equivalent to a five year old), it will be able to cope with the demands placed on it. Then the individual will be able to learn the skills, such as reading or self-control, that a normal five year-old learns.

Developing the Cerebellum to Treat ADHD and Dyslexia

To develop the cerebellum it must be taught how to coordinate. The simplest way is through easy physical tasks such a throwing a ball from one hand to another though even this may be too difficult at first. By starting with incredibly simple exercises and then slowly making them more complex, the cerebellum can be trained and developed.

This process of training the cerebellum takes months and the exercises have to be done everyday. This can be very frustrating as there is often no obvious improvements in a child's behaviour or literacy for sometime. However, just like a child's first words or a first steps, once a critical tipping point is reached they improve everyday and sometimes quite rapidly.

Get Started Treating ADHD and Dyslexia

There are a number of different approaches that focus on the cerebellum, balance and physical skills as a way of tackling ADHD and Dyslexia. A good introduction to the different approaches is What Treatment Should I Get For My Child?. The sections on ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism have further information on these particular problems. Further research and treatments covering paticular problem aresa can be found in Balance and Coordination , Memory, hearing and vision.