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Dyslexia and Sound Therapy

Dyslexia, meaning "reading difficulty", was originally called "word blindness" and thought to be a visual problem. One of the earliest writers on the subject, Dr Hinshelwood, was an eye surgeon, which may account for the initial emphasis on visual difficulties. Many more recent studies point to language and auditory problems as the fundamental cause.

Listening is the most basic skill required for verbal communication, and a weakness in listening ability may hinder the development of a strong language base. Consequently, a dyslexic child encounters problems when it comes time to approach the more complex linguistic tasks of writing and reading. If the sounds of speech have not been accurately heard, they cannot be accurately conveyed by symbols.

The left hemisphere of the brain is the main centre for processing language. In order for speech sounds to reach the brain efficiently, the right ear must take a leading role in listening because the right ear communicates most directly with the left hemisphere.

Dr Tomatis contends that people with dyslexia have failed to achieve right ear dominance and thus the order in which they hear sounds becomes jumbled. If they sometimes use the left and sometimes the right ear as the directing ear, sounds may reach the brain at different speeds, so letters will be jumbled. This accounts for errors of reversal, such as writing "was" as "saw" or pronouncing "spaghetti" as "pisghetti".

Photo courtesy of SiSter PhotograPher

How Sound Therapy can help dyslexics

Both hemispheres of the brain play a role in processing language, but the roles they play are different. The balance between the two hemispheres of the brain is of fundamental importance in overcoming dyslexia.

The eye must combine with the power and the quality of the ear to make sense of the written sounds. This co-ordination happens easily when the left hemisphere deals primarily with audition and the right hemisphere deals primarily with vision. In dyslexia, the route which allows for phonic analysis has been damaged. Sound Therapy may help restore the functioning of this route and eliminate the cause of the problem.

Tomatis says, "We read with our ears ... the ear is the organ of language, the pathway to language assimilation, the key that controls it, the receptor regulating its flow." Sound Therapy stimulates and exercises the ear, encouraging it to receive and interpret sound in an efficient manner.

Music is a highly organised series of sounds that the ear has to analyse. Thus, listening to music is an excellent way to learn how to perceive sounds in an organised fashion, i.e., to listen. The higher volume of sound to the right ear built into all Sound Therapy recordings means that the right ear is educated to be the directing ear. When this right ear dominance is achieved, the problem of reversal will likely disappear.

Learn more about how Sound Therapy rehabilitates the ear and stimulates the brain.

Boosting confidence and self esteem

Dyslexics often have feelings of inferiority as a result of repeated failure. How unfair that they must work much harder than anyone else only to achieve mediocre results!

Sound Therapy may offer immediate emotional relief because it is a method of treatment that doesn't require extra effort.

Once one is able to receive and interpret sound accurately and easily, his/her ability and motivation to communicate is greatly increased. Thus the problem learner is transformed into a receptive and motivated learner.

Tips for using Sound Therapy for Dyslexia

Dyslexic adults should aim to listen to Sound Therapy for at least 3 hours per day.

A child with dyslexia should listen to Sound Therapy every day for 30 to 60 minutes or more if desired. Listening can be done during sleep, play, homework or travel. If the child wishes to listen at school, parents can ask for the consent of the teacher. This will likely be granted as listening in the classroom will often help the child to concentrate and perform better.

The reading aloud exercise (below) has also been particularly helpful for children with dyslexia.

Reading aloud exercise

Children who are experiencing difficulty with reading can begin this exercise after the first 10 to 20 hours of listening.

The child sits in an erect but comfortable posture and reads aloud while holding the right hand near the mouth, as though holding an imaginary microphone. This has the psychological effect of 'switching on' the voice. It also encourages right ear dominance, which is necessary for the successful conversion of visual symbols into sound.

This exercise should be done for 15 minutes each day, and can be continued until the reading problems are resolved. Encourage the child by making it into a fun game. Give your child positive attention while he or she is reading; this will create a positive association with reading aloud.

Listener's Stories

Cynthia Connell Davis - Rhode Island, USA

"I suffer from a mild, erratic but progressive dyslexia and a reversal of (brain) sphere dominance. Improvement - as well as more patience, better listening capacity, more empathy for my writing students, decreased anxiety and depression and fatigue - has been steady and I am tremendously enthusiastic about sound therapy."