Good Morning America Falls for Dore Claim of "Dyslexia Cure"

Update June 1 2008: Dore seems to be out of business, world-wide.  See this summary post.  My sympathies to those families who prepaid and have no economic recourse.

Evidently the producers at Good Morning America fell (or took a "product placement")
for the alleged  "Dore Dyslexia Cure".  Look, anybody can claim to cure or improve a condition.  It's the proof that's the problem.

No, the Dore exercises don't cure dyslexia or make things better.  Many parents and patients think they only thing they do is delay treatment and make the parents' wallets lighter.   And Dore used to claim that it was "NASA Science", until NASA issued an objection.

Shaywitz warned that, compared to other proven approaches, the Dore program offers insufficient science to support its success. "The notion that physical exercises can be used to address reading problems has been with us a long time, for decades," she said. "This current version needs to be subject to our new high standard of scrutiny to be examined, as other programs have."

Here's what they claim:

DORE Centers: Dyslexia Treatments

A privately funded company based in Louisville, Colorado with extensions across the United States, DORE Achievement Centers provides drug-free dyslexia treatments. Our individualized treatment involves exercises aimed at minimizing or eliminating Cerebellar Developmental Delay (CDD), the likely cause of many learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

No effective treatment for dyslexia uses drugs, so that "drug free" claim is a crock of parent-alarming baloney.

There is no such recognized condition as CDD--this is something Dore made up.

Dore's researcher has questionable associations:

The UK Times Educational Supplement reports: 'Academics are challenging heavily publicised claims of a new “cure” for dyslexia that costs more than a thousand pounds. The controversy has been fuelled by the revelation of an alleged financial link between the professor researching the treatment and Wyndford Dore, the millionaire businessman providing it . . . Professor Maggie Snowling of York University said: “It is naïve to think that there is one cause of cerebellar immaturity and one treatment for correcting it would be effective for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as the centre claims.

Look, kids with dyslexia can and do learn to read with good comprehension.  It's not easy, quick, and the remedy is hardly likely to make someone (like Dore), a ton of money.

Beringer's research

Comments

[Chris Tregenza]

Your comments on the Dore / DDAT system are disingenuous. You say that

"Dore exercises don't cure dyslexia or make things better".

This is patently untrue, something I can demonstrate through my own experience and the experience of others. However the system does not work for everyone and the statistics Dore quote (a 90+% success rate) are misleading.

"No effective treatment for dyslexia uses drugs, so that "drug free" claim is a crock of parent-alarming baloney."

Dr Levinson started using travel sickness and antihistamines medicines to successfully treat dyslexia starting in the 1970's. Children with ADHD often have dyslexia related problems and are treated with Ritalin. That said, the emphasis on 'Drug Free' is a bit of marketing slight-of-hand, something that Dore are extremely good at. More information on Dore's poor record in TV appearances.

"There is no such recognized condition as CDD--this is something Dore made up."

Its certainly true that the term CDD is used only by the Dore Centres but the term is valid. Dyslexics appear to have underdevelopment cerebellums based on their motor skills compared to average children. Whether this is the cause of dyslexia, a result of dyslexia or entirely unrelated has not been proven one way or the other.

"alleged financial link between the professor researching the treatment and Wyndford Dore, the millionaire businessman providing it"

Dr Rutherford who conducted the initial research is Medical Director of DDAT and has been since 15/03/2000. This is a matter of public record and I've never seen any DDAT literature that disguises this relationship.

"... kids with dyslexia can and do learn to read with good comprehension. It's not easy..."

Yes, children with dyslexia can learn to read. I was assessed and diagnosed as dyslexic three times before I was twenty yet for all of them I had an acceptable reading age. The problem is that dyslexic's poor reading, writing and spelling is a symptom of a deeper problem. These symptoms can be treated but this does not resolve root cause and without resolving that a dyslexic child will never reach their potential.

Because dyslexia is just a set of symptoms, i.e. poor reading, writing and spelling, everyone has fallen into the trap of assuming that there is one single cause. Over the last few years its become evident that dyslexics can have a range of underlying problems including hearing difficulties, visual problems and motor control issues. No one treatment is ever going to deal with all children. When we find a treatment, such as Dore, that works for some people it should not be condemned because it doesn't work for all. All children are individuals and need a unique set of educational tools to bring out the best of them. The Dore system is just one tool in the toolbox.

[luke]

Hi there,

does anyone have any info on the actuall exercises that the DORE programe utilises??
eg the 10 minute daily exercises...

Because im ADD, however i cant afford the DORE programe...

If anybody could forward me any info i would be eternally greatfull!!

[woody]

http://www.learningbreakthrough.com/

this is a similar treatment. Costs a lot less, very similar without going to see a centre.

email me and I can give you some more info

z_woody101@hotmail.co.uk

[Kim]

I cannot believe Chris Tegenza would actually say that "These symptoms can be treated but this does not resolve root cause and without resolving that a dyslexic child will never reach their potential."

Please see the dyslexia.com website for all of the famous scientists, politicians (including Winston Churchill) celebrated actors, musicians, authors, artists, entreprenuers, etc. who openly claim(ed) dyslexia. They might beg to differ with you on just how successful they have been, especially since many of them did not even have a name to put to their conditions. Some of those include Albert Einstein, Pierre Curie, Alexander Graham Bell and Ted Turner. Yes, many people with this condition may also have other issues, which can neither be linked or lumped into one category or causal effect. Dore claims to "cure" or significantly improve ADD/ADHD, Asberger, and Autism as well. Perhaps Dore has helped some. The real problem is that they make very wide-sweeping claims with no real scientific evidence to back it up. They need to perform a true, systematic, documented study that will stand up to scientific scrutiny and prove their claims.

[Donna]

Kim,
Please see prisons for all of the dyslexics who did not become successful or famous. Additionally, there is no proof whatsoever that Einstein was dyslexic and just so you know, the autism lobbies claim him as one of their own, too, as do the adhd groups. Ditto for all of the famous dead guys mentioned in your post who might have been dyslexic, but then again may not have been.

[Ateeq Ahmed]

o,
DORE Team ,
I had a talk with one of your team member , that I still have one and half a year of time as my daughter who is having medium level Dyspraxia , since she is just five and half years old.
I did a lot of study and discussed with occupational therapist about DORE programme and I deduced that it would be very useful for my daughter's cure. I came to know that the DORE programme also works online but I would like to have a personal consultation at least once at the beginning of the programme. I am an Indian citizen , please advise me which centre would be more convenient and helpful for me.
India being a very big country with a diversified population of 1.2 billion people, among them 33% are children below 14 years of age. Statistics shows that atleast 2% of children are severely Dyspraxic.
Other than Dyspraxia there are children with Dyslexia , ADHD , ADD and with other learning difficulties. Considering all these , I suggest the DORE team to open a DORE centre in India .
Many children will be benefitted if they have a DORE centre which is easily conveyable for their treatment.

Thanking You,