of 'faulty wiring' FOR around 90 per cent of us, absorbing ourselves in a newspaper or book, reading a menu, following train time-tables and even writing a letter are things we do without thinking.

But for people who are dyslexic, these tasks become a laborious and tortuous slog.

A recently-formed dyslexia help group in East Lancashire is determined to offer help and support and remove the stigma attached to sufferers. VIVIEN MASON reports. SUPPLY teacher Lisa Pissochet knew next to nothing about dyslexia until her son Luke, now aged nine, was diagnosed as a sufferer.

But her determination to learn more about the condition, caused by a "wiring-problem" in the brain, led to her forming The Ribble Valley Dyslexia Association.

In November it was awarded a Lottery Awards For All grant and is looking to open a resource centre in town where people and schools can gain information.

Lisa, who lives in Hawthorne Place, Clitheroe, first knew Luke had a problem when he started struggling at school

"In every other way he's a bright, bubbly, normal child," she explained.

"It was when his teachers said he was struggling and said he was being lazy and messing about that I decided to investigate. I eventually found out he was dyslexic after seeing a programme on the subject which described Luke completely," she said.

Luke's father Richard is dyslexic too and Lisa said she felt there was just not enough provision in the area for people to get any information, other than the internet, and arranged a coffee morning to see what other people thought. Twenty people turned up and the association got off the ground.

A room was offered to hold meetings on the second Monday of each month at Trinity Youth and Community Centre, in Clitheroe, and a committee of 17 people has been formed, chaired by Lisa.

"I find we get a lot of people coming from the Blackburn and Burnley because the nearest place at the moment which provides support and information is in Preston. When you realise that around 10 per cent of the population is dyslexic, then that means there are a lot of people who will benefit from being able to learn more about the disorder," she added.

Dyslexia still attracts a great deal of stigma and is still regarded as the middle-class parent's excuse for a not very bright child, said Lisa.

But the condition itself need not necessarily hamper the child. There are varying degrees of dyslexia but several famous people including Winston Churchill, Liam Gallagher, Michael Heseltine, Steven Redgrave, Beryl Reid, Albert Einstein, John Prescott and George Washington have gone on to carve out successful careers despite the problem.

"Many dyslexics are good problem solvers as they look at things from all angles and say they have got where they are today because they are dyslexic, not despite it," said Lisa.

The Lottery Awards for All grant of almost £5,000 will be used to develop a library of reading material for the use of parents, adult dyslexics and schools, as well as buy a computer and software demos.

The scheme is to be set up by March in the Trinity Centre and can be accessed during the meetings. The group is looking for a volunteer for just a couple of hours a month to run this resource centre once all the material has been catalogued.

The Association also runs a children's fun club during these meetings and would like another volunteer with experience in working with children to animate it.

The meeting on Monday February 12 includes a talk entitled 'Is My Child Dyslexic?' by a retired special educational needs coordinator. The talk will show methods to find out whether a child is dyslexic, and if so, how their school can be approached. There will also be some advice on self-help.

For more information about the association contact Lisa by e-mail at dyslexia@pissochet.freeserve.co.uk or by phone on 01200 447742.