Can Physical Exercise Help Treat Dyslexia?
July 13, 2004 -- Katie Belford knows too well the challenges of dealing with dyslexia, a learning disability that affects more than 40 million American children and adults.
Both of her sons, 12-year-old Michael and 9-year-old Adam, live with the condition. Dyslexics are often highly intelligent but they lack the decoding skills necessary for reading, writing and reading comprehension.
"It's crushing," Belford said. "And you cry for so many years. And then you go, well, there's got to be something we can do. I mean, Michael's self-esteem was just really down when he was little. It was tough."
Her husband, Mark Belford, said Michael's problems become evident when he was in the first grade. "He was disruptive in the class," he said, "and the main reason was because he wasn't getting it. It just was not connecting."
Michael recalled how frustrating that could be. "I just didn't know what to do and had trouble working in a lot of things in school," he said.
Seeking Alternatives
Multimillionaire businessman Wynford Dore had a similar experience with his daughter, who lived with dyslexia for years without much help from treatments.
"It got to the point that she was becoming depressed and suicidal," he said.
Determined to find a solution, Dore channeled his pain and frustration into a five-year search for answers. "This is not bad parenting," he said. "It's not bad teaching. There's a physiological problem."
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