Dyslexia Help Website - Success Starts Here?

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A step-by-step approach to dyslexia
As you are probably most aware, a large number of bright, intelligent, and talented men and women, through no fault of their own, experience difficulty learning to read and write.

This is known as dyslexia. Given its complexity, dyslexia can feel overwhelming and frustrating.

At this website, our goal is to give you a step-by-step approach to help you understand what dyslexia is (and what it is not), develop an action plan, begin to get help, and become your own best advocate.

We understand that it can be challenging. Therefore, we provide you with guidance, guidelines, and such tools as an extensive glossary to help you understand all of the terms, assistive software programs, and study 'tips' that focus on organization and time management.

There are also many success stories on this site that are very motivating and inspirational. Let's begin your journey. Success starts here!

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Japan Pfizer pharma firm starts Down's therapy test

A Japanese pharmaceutical company said Monday it will begin therapeutic testing of a drug it hopes will slow the decline in quality of life for some people with Down's syndrome.

Pfizer will trial its "Aricept" donepezil hydrochloride drug, commonly used to treat some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, on people between the ages of 15 and 39 who have Down's syndrome.

Down's is a congenital disorder frequently characterised by diminished mental faculty and physical abnormalities, including distinctive facial features.

It is caused by a chromosome defect and is proportionately more common in people born of older mothers.

From the mid-teens onwards, roughly six percent of people with Down's syndrome lose physical co-ordination, experience sleep disorders and become more withdrawn, a spokesman for pharmaceutical company Eisai said.

"This testing, if effective, might show that the medication could improve their condition and help improve the quality of their lives," the spokesman said.

It could also ease the burden on their caregivers, he added.

Some of the symptoms experienced by people with Down's syndrome are common to some sufferers of Alzheimer's, for which Aricept has long been prescribed.

The testing will initially involve 10 hospitals across Japan, with dozens of people in the affected age group.

The programme will continue for up to four years, the spokesman said.

The drug is not intended to treat the underlying condition, he said, rather it is hoped it will target some of the symptoms.

Around one in every 830 newborns in the United States has Down's syndrome, according to the National Institutes of Health. This equates to about 250,000 people in the US population, it says.

Good Mental Health starts with early Childhood Relationships

The mental and emotional development of children is just as important as early childhood education, according to Iowa State researchers. 

Credit: Bob Elbert 

Making sure children grow up in a safe and stable environment is the goal of Iowa State University researchers working on a statewide evaluation through the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting programs.

Researchers want to improve effectiveness as well as access for families to prevention and intervention programs.

Kere Hughes-Belding

Kere Hughes-Belding, an associate professor of human development and family studies at Iowa State, says the work is critical to the mental and emotional development of children.

It's an aspect that is often overlooked, but is just as important as early childhood education, she said. "This is such a critical age and period of development in a child's life. There really is no better age to intervene and get the most benefit," Hughes-Belding said.

"The more we can do to promote nurturing and caring relationships between parent and child, the better outcomes for the child." Researchers will start by interviewing families who participate in the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting programs.

Many of these families are also dealing with complex problems such as poverty, unemployment and chronic depression, as well as substance abuse issues.

Hughes-Belding says parents are generally motivated to do what is best for their children, but may lack the skills or ability to improve the situation without outside support.

The research team also plans to work with the home visitors who provide the services and videotape their interactions with families.

They want to get a better idea of what works and what doesn't. "The results from this evaluation project will give us information about the characteristics, training and support needed for effective home visitation with at-risk families of very young children," Hughes-Belding said.

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