Answer

Hi Penny,

Mixed dominance can be very confusing. I am mixed dominant, but it didn't cause me to have dyslexia or learning difficulties. It has made me poor at sports, unable to tie or understand knots, and directionally challenged. For the most part I have found coping mechanisms that make this bearable. But so many children who are dyslexic do indeed have mixed dominance. The brain likes one side to be in charge, and when you are mixed dominant this just doesn't happen. Sometimes it can affect reading or learning, and that is where a brain retraining can be beneficial.

Some programs try to change eye dominance, but I compare this to the 1950's when we tried to make left handed children write with their right hands. I believe that the student should have the eye dominance that he/she was born with and from there we can balance the brain so that learning can be efficient.

Is there a relationship between mixed dominance and dyslexia? I really don't think so. I have tested so many children who have dyslexia but not mixed dominance, and vice versa. I think that when a student struggles it is too easy to just want a one size fits all answer, but it rarely works that way. Every child is different, and every brain is different.

Your daughter might have dyslexia as well as being mixed dominant. This is common. The thing to remember is that it isn't the label, it's the treatment that you choose that makes a difference.