Dyslexia in a 7 Year Old

Rebecca presented with eczema around her mouth-- a very red noticeable rash right around her mouth. Her appetite was poor. She generally lacked in confidence and was especially afraid in new situations and of loud noises, strangers and heights including swings. When smaller Rebecca was afraid of noise and when other children cried she would hide behind mum. She would also hide behind mum if anyone paid her “sudden” attention.

Rebecca found it very difficult to express herself e.g. if she was unhappy about anything. Her mother noted a big change since starting school. Before school she seemed happier, and would sing and dance; she liked herself. Once she started school she had difficulty with spelling, reading, writing and maths, due to dyslexia. This led to anger, frustration and general moodiness. When writing Rebecca would get very agitated and lick her lips. She did not like school and did not want to go to school. She would say things like “I wish I was dead” and “ I wish I did not have to be alive”.

Rebecca desperately wants to learn but the dyslexia makes this difficult. She wants her writing to be perfect but it would take everything she has to achieve this. She generally prefers routine and the familiar.

Analysis

It was clear that Rebecca was a sensitive girl, shy and reticent about trying new things or meeting new people. You can imagine her distress in coping with the twin traumas of starting school in the first place, and then discovering that the work was too hard. In these situations, there is a huge focus by all concerned to get a diagnosis and to organise specialist classes to enable dyslexic children to learn to read. It made sense to me that this process would have a big effect on Rebecca. Most children just want to fit in and be liked. A dyslexic child can feel stupid, as if everyone is looking at them and so on. In Rebecca’s case the stress was enough to bring out a rash around her mouth that would draw further attention to her.

Dyslexia can often improve with good homeopathic treatment. Children who are responding well to their remedy will often find that the pace of their learning increases, along with improved confidence and a reduction in fears and anxieties. The reason why this is possible is that dyslexia is just one manifestation of an imbalance that exists in many people. If we can improve someone’s overall health or balance then it makes sense that learning will become somewhat easier too.

Remedy

The remedy Rebecca needed had to cover the fact that she was a shy girl, anxious in new situations, as well as the dyslexia and the rash around the mouth.

Follow up

At Rebecca’s follow up a few weeks later her rash had cleared up and had not recurred. Her mood and temperament had improved and her appetite had increased. Mum reported that she seemed “lighter”. I advised Mum to repeat a dose of the remedy if she saw any relapse: physically, mentally or emotionally.

Subsequent follow ups

Mum reported that Rebecca had started to sing again! This was a sure sign that she was feeling better in herself.

We found that whenever there was a big stressor in Rebecca’s life--usually to do with school--her rash would start to reappear. This became a useful yardstick by which to judge the need to repeat a dose of Rebecca’s remedy. This was because it was our sign that Rebecca was tipping out of balance again. What we wanted to see with treatment was the time intervals between repetitions of the remedy getting longer as she got stronger and healthier.

2003

Rebecca has only had the one remedy and the need to repeat the remedy has indeed diminished. Her confidence has improved greatly along with her school work and she has not had a rash around her mouth for a long time now.

This case was submitted by Nicki Walker, a registered member of NZCH, who has a homeopathic practice in Wellington. For contact details please refer to Find a Homeopath on this website.