ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) — Francis Hines, 8, was eager to read aloud the story he wrote about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Eighteen months ago, Francis wasn’t able to read a word because of his struggle with dyslexia. He has difficulty learning to read and interpret words or letters, said his mother Liz Hines. He couldn’t write his alphabet in order. And now, after 18 months of intensive remediation, Hines says his handwriting is “amazing” and he can read and write.
“I can read anything,” said Francis, bashful but proud.
Focusing carefully, he read every word of his short four-chapter story.
“That’s awesome. Great job,” praised Yvette Blanchard, co-owner of The Reading & Math Centers of Louisiana, who has been working with Francis.
“And he wrote this story by himself,” said Hines, who is the other center’s co-owner.
Francis pointed out that his friends helped with the illustrations.
“I just wanted to make a story because I thought it would be good for me and some other kids wanted to help me so I let them,” he said.
Blanchard, who also has a child who struggles with dyslexia, and Hines recently opened The Reading & Math Centers of Louisiana in Alexandria.
“So it’s part of our heart for sure, too,” Hines said.
Yvette is a dyslexia specialist who owns a clinic, The Reading Center in Carencro, which focuses on dyslexia and dysgraphia, an issue that causes trouble with writing.
Hines, who is a math person, got certified in dyscalculia which is the difficulty a person has with doing basic arithmetic.
The reason they decided to open a center here is to help parents and educators with children who are struggling with dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia, said Blanchard.
“This is not an IQ issue at all,” said Hines. “And I think when people can’t read or can’t do math, they think it’s an IQ issue.”
Many times these disabilities are hereditary and these issues can overlap.
“If a child has one, there is a 40 percent chance they have another,” said Hines.
Blanchard said they use an explicit multi-sensory approach that’s unique to each individual need that strengthens neurological pathways and creates pathways where there are none.
“So think of it as therapy for the brain,” she said. It’s not exercises but the way that they teach in their approach.
They do a lot of testing on each person and build from there, said Hines.
“Their symptoms and the defense mechanisms that they put up and everything they’ve done is as unique as a fingerprint,” she said. “There’s no ‘magic sauce’ that can be applied to everybody. It’s a science to where you find where they’re weak and you start there and build.”
Blanchard said they use body movement and other multi-sensory approaches to help that skill seep into long-term working memory. Hines said that’s the big thing.
“They can’t get it from the Broca area of the brain to long-term working memory because of chromosomes,” said Hines.
“That’s why children with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia can know their spelling words today, or their math facts today, and tomorrow not, because it’s right here,” she said, pointing to her forehead where the Broca area is located.
What the individual is learning is not making it to the long-term working memory of the brain. So Hines and Blanchard work with individuals to build and strengthen neural pathways so what is learned gets from the Broca area to the long-term memory.
Statistically it takes about 18-36 months for complete remediation depending on age of child and severity of their diagnosis, said Blanchard.
Once remediated, those with dyslexia, dyscalculia or dysgraphia are using 15-20 percent more of their brain than somebody who doesn’t have the disability, said Hines.
“We’re not putting a band-aid on it. We’re retraining the brain so that they can be completely full functional in the classroom,” she said.
They want to help the child be independent.
“That’s been our goal,” said Hines. “And that’s what’s so different about what we’re doing versus just giving accommodations.”
For more information about The Reading & Math Centers of Louisiana, call (318) 455-2010 or email: supportcenla@thereadingandmathcentersofcenla.com. Visit their Facebook page, The Reading and Math Centers of Louisiana.