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Reversal Frequency: Minding Your P’s and Q’s

As a young child learns to read and write, reversing or transposing a letter here or there is an expected mistake. If those reversals continue past the age of 8, there may be an issue with what is known as reversal frequency: mistaking a b for a d, or a p for a q.

Testing for letter and number reversals can be accomplished with the Gardner Reversals Test. The Gardner test differentiates between types of reversals, further identifying a patient with dysponesia, dyseidesia, or dysnemkinesia.

Dysphonetics have difficulty integrating letters with sounds, and thus have a hard time sounding out words. Dyseidetics can sound out words, but have trouble with sequencing and find it tough to read an entire word at a time. Dysnemkinesics exhibit high reversal rates due to poor memory and motor skills.

While the dyslexic brain processes things differently, with early detection and treatment, significant progress can be made with a combination of vision therapy strategies and intervention. Beginning treatment as early as possible will help keep patients at peer levels in academic achievement and keep self-esteem high. Older patients, however, should not be discouraged from seeking treatment, as progress can be made at any age.

If you feel your child may have a problem with reversal frequency, testing by a developmental optometrist can provide important information to help you decide on a next step. The staff at Virginia Vision Therapy Center is trained to diagnose and work with patients that have a wide variety of vision disorders. We specialize in tailoring programs to the individual for maximum progress and satisfaction.

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