bookmark us

click me to order your dissertation
UK Dissertation Guarantees

Free Dissertations - Physiology Dissertations

The Dore Approach: Researchers At The Dore Institute Firmly Believe That The ...


The Dore Approach:
Researchers at the Dore institute firmly believe that the under development of the cerebellum constitutes the basis of most, if not all learning difficulties in the context of autism, dyspraxia ( developmental co-ordination disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Poor development of the cerebellum and the consequently poor communication that the underdeveloped cerebellum engages in with cerebral cortex (thinking brain) results in severe difficulties in developing skills and making these skills automatic and subconscious. It is this lack of automaticity which means that these learners cannot employ skills as easily as their peers.
Nicolson, one of the first researchers to suggest a link between problems in the cerebellum and dyslexia, proposes that defects in the ability to co-ordinate movement could affect eye tracking and reading and writing abilities.
In a study of dyslexic children, Nicholson and Fawcett argued that these children experienced difficulty in making the skills needed for reading automatic, a deficiency which they attributed to an abnormal functioning of the cerebellum (Nicolson and Fawcett, 1990). There is evidence that the cerebellum plays an important role in language development in general and reading acquisition in particular (Fulbright et al., 1999).
Research Supporting the Dore Approach:
Building on the growing understanding of the role of the cerebellum and the knowledge of the plastic nature of the brain, Dore and Rutherford developed the thinking of Nicolson and Fawcett, arguing that it was possible to retrain the cerebellum in dyslexic children so that it becomes normal and it able to operate in a much more efficient way, similar to the operation in non dyslexic children (Dore and Rutherford, 2001). They argued that an intervention programme designed to address the deficiencies in the cerebellum should lead to improvements in reading ability even in the absence of reading support (Reynolds and Nicholson, 2006). This led to the development of a Balance Remediation Exercise Training programme, based on balance training combined with testing the functioning of the cerebellum (Reynolds et al., 2003, p.53). Dore and Rutherford have set up centres to offer dyslexia treatment based on Nicolson's explanation of the disorder called the Dore Achievement Centres. The programme is aimed at minimising or eliminating Cerebellar Developmental Delay, the likely cause of many learning difficulties (www.dore.org). The exercises are designed to train the cerebellum to respond in a more normal way to information involved in balance (Young, 2002).
Proponents of the Dore approach believe that many of the labels currently attached to children with learning difficulties are misleading as many children and adults with learning difficulties display a range of difficulties in a number of areas.

Please note: The above dissertation snippet was written by a student and then submitted to us to display and help others. Thanks to all the students who have submitted their work to us.