Myomancy ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism

Whilst there are many different causes to dyslexia: cerebellum and vestibular problems, auditory and visual weaknesses, retained primitive reflexes and others; the psychological aspect cannot be ignored. Unpleasant or difficult early experiences may give rise to dislike of reading and writing that almost be called a phobia.

To combat this an American based group is training dogs to help the children with reading. The dogs provide a stimulus that encourages the children to read. Their friendly, attentive manner helps calm the children and of course the dogs do not criticise the child. A typical session lasts between 30 and 40 minutes and involves the child reading aloud to the dog, who sits next to the child, Ms. Vinson-McCullough who runs the scheme said

“The child knows the dog is there not to judge but just to listen. The child gets involved in reading aloud and begins to love what reading is all about. It is amazing to see.”

Shy children may also benefit from shifting roles and build up more confidence, she said. At a local school, Curtsey, an 8-year-old Australian Shepherd and Chow mix, freely roams and stops to help children in the classrooms. Curtsey’s training was extensive, taking more than a year and including lots of obedience classes and tests to find out if she had the requisite personality to work with kids, Ms. Vinson-McCullough said.

Curtsey also seems to have an innate ability to sense distress or frustration and will find the child to offer consolation. “Crying just devastates her,” Ms. Vinson-McCullough said. “There’s a good chance that if someone is crying, Curtsey will be there to catch the tears before they hit the floor.”

Source: The Princeton Packet. Other web sites / articles on Reading Dogs