Local chiropactor one
of few to work with kids with dyslexiaThe Stouffville Sun, Wed.,
November 20, 1985 - page 9
by KAREN BROOKS
Stouffville is home
for one of the few chiropractic doctors who have been making headway for
children suffering from the learning disability dyslexia.
Dr. Allen Turner's
work was highlighted last week on CFTO TV's 'Heartbeat' segment of the
news by Jim Junkin who interviewed Turner, one of his patients, Meghan
Byron, 6, and her parents, Russell and Rose May.
In the first week
of Meghan's treatment her parents noticed a definite increase in her ability
to learn numbers and letters, one of the effects of the learning disability.
Turner has been working
with dyslexic children for two years, getting similar lasting results through
a chiropractic technique known as kinesiology. Discovered in 1984, it deals
with the nervous system and body functions. Other treatments rarely have
provided these lasting results.
Dyslexia refers to
a group of conditions dealing with the inability to properly process language,
written, spoken or symbolic.
In 1982, a chiropractic
doctor recognized the relationship between the technique and the symptoms
of dyslexia and all other learning disabilities.
Upon initially examining
Meghan in September, Turner discovered a misalignment in her skull, the
result of a unfortunate fall into a car.
"It's
not a widespread practice among chiropractic doctors," Turner says. "The
results are not as good with retarded children or those with permanent
brain damage. But the earlier it is caught with children such as Meghan
it is less likely there will be permanent brain damage."
A marked increase
in Meghan's ability to learn was noticed after five treatments by Dr. Turner
within a week. Meghan had been tested and other methods used to no avail.
After one month of
treatment, Meghan could retain all the numbers between 1 and 100 while
before she could go no farther than the number four.
Once corrections have
been made, the patient must start "catching up" by structured studying
and learning.
Junkin noted the social
implications of such work is tremendous, helping children who have been
treated in various other ways with no success.
"I feel fantastic,"
says Rose May Russell. "We knew she wasn't stupid. It was frustrating.
We've learned so much and we're so thankful. lt's an incredible feeling
to know there's someone out there to help these children.
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