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Weekend House Call: Overcoming Dyslexia

Aired July 27, 2003 - 08:29   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Today, on WEEKEND HOUSE CALL, we're talking about overcoming dyslexia. For years, it was thought to be just a myth or maybe just that children weren't trying hard enough to learn how to read. But, new research on the brain has unlocked the truth about dyslexia. As Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports, spotting it early and getting intensive training could help turn dyslexia around.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Davis King is like many other kids. He loves football, being in the kitchen, and avoiding books. But, Davis doesn't dislike reading; he has dyslexia, a type of learning disability that makes reading difficult.

DR. LISA GUY, CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST: It's a neurological disorder that affects the way a student's brain processes information. So, it could have an impact on the way that a student hears information, the way that they express them selves orally; it may have an impact on the way they read, write, or do math problems.

GUPTA: Davis' mom first suspected something might be wrong when he was three or four and he wasn't rhyming like other children.

JAN KING, PARENT: You sing the nursery rhymes with them, you sink the little church songs with them, and those things didn't come easily for Davis.

GUPTA: According to the International Dyslexia Association, 15 percent to 20 percent of Americans have a learning disability and it could be even more than that as many never get tested. Many have had extraordinary success, such as Tom Cruise, Pablo Picasso, and even Albert Einstein.

GUY: So, it's not the case that they are dumb. That they really have good thinking and reasoning skills. They have difficulties in a particular area.

GUPTA: A new scientific study shows dyslexia is a brain-based disability. There's a glitch in the neurological wiring of dyslexics that makes reading extremely difficult for them. In a good reader, the left side of the brain is used in three places. The front and two areas in the back. In the dyslexic reader, the front area of the brain lights up, but the back of the brain doesn't activate. Some studies suggest specialized reading therapy may be able to retrain the brain so the dyslexia could disappear entirely. Learning disabilities are treatable and can be found through testing.

KING: They thought testing would be a very good idea and he was 6 so, we were very lucky.

GUPTA: Lucky, because the Kings caught it early. Today, Davis attends a special school and special classes. Painter, actor, scientists, or...

DAVIS KING, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT: Well, cooking overall. Favorite thing. Cooking.

GUPTA: Even chef. Davis King is well on his way to being whatever he wants to be.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Dyslexia and other learning disabilities often go undetected. But ,there are some early warning signs. Parents should pay attention if their preschooler speaks later than most other children or has pronunciation problems or has difficulty rhyming words, has trouble learning numbers, the alphabet, days of the week, colors and shapes, and demonstrates consistent letter reversal. You should also be concerned if your child relies on memorization without understanding or if you find your child guesses the answer too often. Dyslexic children also have difficulty managing time and organizing tasks. We want to answer your questions about dyslexia. Call us now, our number is 1-800-807-2620 or you can e-mail us at housecall@CNN.com. To help answer your questions, we're joined by Dr. Sally Shaywitz from Yale University, she's a professor of pediatrics and the author of a new book entitled, "Overcoming Dyslexia."

Thanks for joining us, Dr. Shaywitz. We've had so much e-mail on this topic, I want to jump in first with a question from Cecilia, in California.

She asks, "If a child was had difficulty reading for several years and now, at age 12, finds -- reads reasonably well -- unlike me -- but, still does very poor at spelling, could dyslexia be the problem?"

DR. SALLY SHAYWITZ, PROF. PEDIATRICS, YALE: Yes, we've learned a great deal about reading and one of the things we've learned is that what a person has to do in order to learn to read is to learn how the letters represent the sounds of spoken language. Conversely, in spelling, children need to know how the spoken letter -- spoken words are turned into letters. And children who are dyslexic invariably have problems with spelling. Spelling, in fact, is much more difficult than reading. So sometimes, spelling will be the most noticeable symptom of a reading problem. I would advise that person to have their child tested, because good help is available.

COHEN: And, Dr. Shaywitz, you've done this fascinating imaging work that Sanjay Gupta talked about in our story. When you do the imaging work and diagnose the child early and give that child some intensive training, what kind of changes do you see in the dyslexic child?

SHAYWITZ: Well, what's been extraordinarily exciting is, as we've developed the ability to see the brain at work, to see what happens in the brain as someone reads, we've also been able to see what happens when a child gets good instruction, scientifically based instruction. And what we now know is that the brain can change. The brain can adapt to good instruction, teaching is very, very important. So, this is a very, very hopeful finding. The brain is adaptable, it's plastic and given good instruction, the brain can change and, in fact, appear comparable to that of a child who's not had a reading problem.

COHEN: Does that mean that they -- that with training they completely overcome dyslexia and become like a child who does not have dyslexia, or is the dyslexia still with them?

SHAYWITZ: Well, that's the million dollar question. What we have now are early findings. Findings in young children who've been identified early and who've been given evidence based scientifically proven reading programs and in those children, the brain imaging appears to be comparable that children have -- who haven't had any reading problems. And, also, these children appear to be able to learn not only to read accurately, but to read fluently, that is, to read quickly. So, the early signs are really there and it's very, very hopeful that as these children get older, they will not be experiencing reading problems.

COHEN: We have a phone call for you now, Dr. Shaywitz, from Gail in South Carolina.

Gail, go ahead with your question.

GAIL, COLUMBIA, SC, CALLER: Yes, my 7-year-old son was tested for reading difficulties at our state university and was diagnosed with a weakness in his reading fluency. I'm still concerned about dyslexia, even though they ruled it out, based on his performance, because we continually transposes words such as and, "a" and "the," "house" and "home" and especially the "w" for the "t" -- the what's, that's, there's, where's. They said it was developmental and that -- you know, he is a young, up and coming second grader at the age of 7, but at what age does it clearly -- can you clearly indicate dyslexia?

SHAYWITZ: Well, this is a really important question and you bring up a number of very important issues and in fact, areas where there's a great deal of confusion. First of all, let me tell you that there's no such thing as a developmental lag. Our studies, and I describe these in over -- my book, "Overcoming Dyslexia," have shown that children did not outgrow reading problems. So that once a reading problem is noticed, that child needs to have help immediately. Do not accept the notion that it's developmental or there's a developmental lag. You also mention that they found that the child wasn't reading fluently. What we've learned is that children first need to learn how to recognize words, how to identify words. But then, the next important step is being able to see a word and to automatically or fluently read that word and that's a critical step. From what you're describing to me, your child does have dyslexia and it would be very, very important to make sure that he gets help immediately. Don't delay. I say immediately, because we know that with effective programs, as we were just saying you can change the brain. So, I would advise you to go back to your school and tell them that there is no such thing as a developmental lag. If your child is having difficulties with fluency, that is a very important sign that he has a significant reading problem and that he should have help. In fact, there's been so much confusion about this, that's why I wrote my book, "Overcoming Dyslexia" to be able to have parents, like yourself, and teachers have a better idea of what dyslexia's about and how to get the best help.

COHEN: Dr. Shaywitz, thank you. We have to take a quick break, now. But, when we come back, adults and dyslexia. Many have been diagnosed and even more may think that they have dyslexia, but aren't quite sure. Some common signs and symptoms, next. Call us with your questions, our number is 1-800-807-2620 or you can e-mail us at housecall@CNN.com. WEEKEND HOUSE CALL will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: It might surprise you to know that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was diagnosed with dyslexia. So was the inventor of the light bulb, Thomas Edison. Modern day dyslectics: singer and actress, Cher; baseball great, Nolan Ryan; Olympic diver, Greg Louganis; and financial executive, Charles Schwab.

COHEN: This is WEEKEND HOUSE CALL and we're talking about overcoming dyslexia. Call us with your questions at 1-800-807-2620 or send us an e-mail at housecall@CNN.com.

While we get those phone calls lined up, let's check your health quiz. What percentage of Americans diagnosed with a learning disability have also been diagnosed with ADHD? We'll have the answer in 15 seconds, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COHEN: Checking our health quiz, we asked -- what percentage of Americans diagnosed with a learning disability, also are diagnosed with ADHD?

According to the International Dyslexia Association, the answer is 50 percent. Although the disabilities may occur at the same time, one is not the cause of the other.

We're talking about dyslexia. When you think about dyslexia, you normally think of children with learning disabilities, but it also affects adults, as well. Some common signs in adults: hiding reading problems, poor spelling, avoids writing, and dyslexics are often competent in oral language, they rely on memory, and have good people skills. Dyslexics -- dyslexic adults are often very spatially talented, they're in professions like: engineers, architects, designers, artists, and crafts people, mathematicians, physicists, physicians, and dentists. They're intuitive and good at reading people. The adult dyslexic may also have difficulty with planning and organization. Dr. Sally Shaywitz joins us in New York. We'll have an e-mail question from Shawn in Colorado.

Shaw writes, "I'm pretty sure that, now as an adult, at age 27, I have dyslexia and that I've had it all along. Is there any point to getting the testing done beyond satisfying my curiosity? Can it really help with anything now?" -- Dr. Shaywitz.

SHAYWITZ: Well, that's a good question and it really depends on where along the reading spectrum Shawn is and what his goals are. If he's continuing to struggle to read, it would be very important to be tested, because what we've learned is not only that dyslectics have difficulties, but just as you were describing, dyslexics also have many strengths. And, many dyslexics, by the time they're in their 20s and have had difficulties, they think -- well, I must not be very smart, I must be dumb. And so, testing can not only identify where the reading difficulties are, they can show strengths, as well. And, if a person is in a profession or has a job that's going to require some sort of standardized testing that's very important to know if the person has never been tested, if they have dyslexia, because then they'd be eligible to have additional time on examination.

COHEN: We have a phone call now, from Patricia in Massachusetts.

Patricia, go ahead with your question.

PATRICIA, BELMONT, MASS., CALLER: Good morning, Doctor.

SHAYWITZ: Good morning.

PATRICIA: I am an adult who's returning for a master's degree and I have been recently diagnosed with a fundamental reading disability.

SHAYWITZ: Yes.

PATRICIA: In the past, they've also diagnosed me with ADD. Is there a better test, a more reliable test that I could see whether I truly have dyslexia? My son has been diagnosed by Dr. Duffy in Boston years ago and he is an engineer, by the way so...

SHAYWITZ: He's done well.

PATRICIA: He's done quite well. I want to follow, as well.

SHAYWITZ: Well, because science has told us so much about reading and dyslexia, we really understand the reading difficulties in adults. So, I think it would be very important for you to be tested. When you get tested, it would be critical to make sure that you're given a test of reading speed, of fluency, because people who are dyslexic, as they get older, they learn to read words accurately, but not quickly. So, it's very important to have a test of oral reading fluency and a test of how fast you read, both timed and untimed. Those are very critical components in adults testing.

COHEN: Thank you Dr. Shaywitz. We have an e-mail question. This one is from John in California.

He writes, "As an adult with dyslexia who has overcome many hurdles and achieved multiple degrees, are there new techniques or treatment to improve my reading speed?" -- which we were just talking about.

SHAYWITZ: Right. Reading speed, again, is sort of the remnant of a reading difficulty in adults and what we've learned is that the way people become fluent or read quickly and the way the brain learns to read quicker and quicker, is by reading things out loud repeatedly and listening to it and correcting the reading. So, this person can do it with a partner, or you can tape record something and listen to it and correct it and record it again and again. Just as we learn to practice in sports and practice makes us do things better, practicing reading aloud, not silently, but reading aloud over and over again, until you're reading more and more correctly, is an important step in increasing someone's reading speed.

COHEN: Dr. Shaywitz, we had a caller earlier who talked about how she had a child who was dyslexic. Is dyslexic inherited? Is it passed from parent to child?

SHAYWITZ: We've learned, in fact, that a parent who has dyslexia and then has a child, that child has a 25 percent to 50 percent chance of also having dyslexia. It's not invariable, but there's a significant possibility. But, that's very hopeful, because if you know that you or someone in your family is dyslexic and you have a child, then you can be alert to what signs and clues to look for and to get that child help early, so that child can become a good reader.

COHEN: Thank you, Dr. Shaywitz. We have to take a break; now, but when we come back, testing for dyslexia. Who's qualified to test your child and where should you go for training? The answers when WEEKEND HOUSE CALL CONTINUES.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

COHEN: Welcome back to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL. We're talking about dyslexia. There's no cure for dyslexia, but with proper diagnosis, appropriate instruction, hard work and support from family, teachers, friends and others, individuals who are dyslexic can succeed in school and later as working adults. Getting your child tested early is key. Clinical or educational psychologists are qualified to diagnose dyslexia, so are school psychologists and neuropsychologists. Learning disability specialists are also qualified. You can turn to medical doctors with training and experience in the assessment of learning problems in adolescents and adults. We have an e-mail from Kathleen in Georgia.

She asks, "How do you go about finding and individual who can test a child for dyslexia? Once it is diagnosed, how do you get the school to help?" -- Dr. Shaywitz.

SHAYWITZ: That's a very good question. There are very good, well-trained specialists available. As a start, I would turn to the International Dyslexia Society or to the Academic Language Therapy Association. In my book "Overcoming Dyslexia," I provide the websites for each of these organizations.

And, once a child is diagnosed, then I would go speak to the child's teacher and try to become a partner with the teacher. Very often, the teacher might have noticed signs and symptoms, but really wasn't sure if the problem was really there. But, now that you have a diagnosis, I would speak to the child's teacher and perhaps to the school psychologist and try to arrange a meeting -- a pupil placement team meeting, so that a proper program can be developed for your child. It's very, very important to appreciate that the important thing is not only getting special help, but what is the nature of that help? Because the label, "special education," alone doesn't guarantee that your child will be getting the proper instruction that she or he needs. So, you want to make sure that the programs that are used have evidence that support that they are actually effective.

COHEN: Dr. Shaywitz, you mentioned that at Yale you were doing intensive training with some young children with dyslexia and that you had some success. Would I have to come to Yale to get that if I had a dyslexic child, or is that kind of intensive training available at other places?

SHAYWITZ: Well, the good news is now that we understand dyslexia so much better, the intensive training, the effective intensive training is available in many, many places. And, in fact, as a result of the "No child left behind, reading first" law, that training is now mandated, particularly for disadvantaged children, in all of our states. So it's very, very good news that we have evidence of which programs are effective and these are available everywhere.

COHEN: That's great.

Well, Andrea in Michigan has a question for us on the telephone.

Andrea, go ahead.

ANDREA, WATERFORD, MICHIGAN CALLER: Thank you. I really appreciate you doing this show on dyslexia. I've been very frustrated in getting any kind of help for my son. He's recently diagnosed with dyslexia, he also has the topic sensitivity syndrome. He's had trouble reading all his life. And I'm wondering, is it too old -- is he too old to get help?

SHAYWITZ: How old is he?

ANDREA: At 16?

SHAYWITZ: Oh, you're never too old. That's one of the things we've learned. It gets more difficult as children get older and become young adults, but it's never too old. But, this is the time to really make sure he has the help he needs. Because we understand reading and dyslexia as never before, we have many more and much more effective programs. You need to go speak with your school and make sure that he has been, first of all, appropriately diagnosed and has had the testing that is required, and then he receives affective reading instruction.

COHEN: Doctor of Shaywitz, thank you. When we come back, we'll have final thoughts from our doctor about dyslexia, how to diagnose and treat it. When we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COHEN: If you'd like more information on dyslexia, check out the International Dyslexia Association's Web site, go to www.inter- dys.org. Dyslexia was also the cover story of last week's "Time" magazine, you can read more at time.com. We've been joined today, by Dr. Sally Shaywitz with Yale University.

Dr. Shaywitz, tell us, what are the keys to overcoming dyslexia?

SHAYWITZ: Well, the keys are to understand that there has been extraordinary scientific progress in understanding dyslexia and to ensure that these are translated into early identification and effective proven treatment. I've written about these in "Overcoming Dyslexia," because with when we now know, it is possible for virtually every child to become a reader. The key is to become a knowledgeable parent. Every child needs a champion. To champion your child, because it's possible, as never before, for every child to be able to read, the evidence is there. We now have to put the knowledge and the science into practice.

COHEN: Thank you, Dr. Shaywitz. That's all we have time for, today. Make sure to tune in next weekend for another edition of "WEEKEND HOUSE CALL" that's 8:30 a.m. Eastern on Saturday and Sunday. Remember, this is the place for the answers to your medical questions. Thanks for watching. I'm Elizabeth Cohen.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired July 27, 2003 - 08:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Today, on WEEKEND HOUSE CALL, we're talking about overcoming dyslexia. For years, it was thought to be just a myth or maybe just that children weren't trying hard enough to learn how to read. But, new research on the brain has unlocked the truth about dyslexia. As Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports, spotting it early and getting intensive training could help turn dyslexia around.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Davis King is like many other kids. He loves football, being in the kitchen, and avoiding books. But, Davis doesn't dislike reading; he has dyslexia, a type of learning disability that makes reading difficult.

DR. LISA GUY, CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST: It's a neurological disorder that affects the way a student's brain processes information. So, it could have an impact on the way that a student hears information, the way that they express them selves orally; it may have an impact on the way they read, write, or do math problems.

GUPTA: Davis' mom first suspected something might be wrong when he was three or four and he wasn't rhyming like other children.

JAN KING, PARENT: You sing the nursery rhymes with them, you sink the little church songs with them, and those things didn't come easily for Davis.

GUPTA: According to the International Dyslexia Association, 15 percent to 20 percent of Americans have a learning disability and it could be even more than that as many never get tested. Many have had extraordinary success, such as Tom Cruise, Pablo Picasso, and even Albert Einstein.

GUY: So, it's not the case that they are dumb. That they really have good thinking and reasoning skills. They have difficulties in a particular area.

GUPTA: A new scientific study shows dyslexia is a brain-based disability. There's a glitch in the neurological wiring of dyslexics that makes reading extremely difficult for them. In a good reader, the left side of the brain is used in three places. The front and two areas in the back. In the dyslexic reader, the front area of the brain lights up, but the back of the brain doesn't activate. Some studies suggest specialized reading therapy may be able to retrain the brain so the dyslexia could disappear entirely. Learning disabilities are treatable and can be found through testing.

KING: They thought testing would be a very good idea and he was 6 so, we were very lucky.

GUPTA: Lucky, because the Kings caught it early. Today, Davis attends a special school and special classes. Painter, actor, scientists, or...

DAVIS KING, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT: Well, cooking overall. Favorite thing. Cooking.

GUPTA: Even chef. Davis King is well on his way to being whatever he wants to be.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Dyslexia and other learning disabilities often go undetected. But ,there are some early warning signs. Parents should pay attention if their preschooler speaks later than most other children or has pronunciation problems or has difficulty rhyming words, has trouble learning numbers, the alphabet, days of the week, colors and shapes, and demonstrates consistent letter reversal. You should also be concerned if your child relies on memorization without understanding or if you find your child guesses the answer too often. Dyslexic children also have difficulty managing time and organizing tasks. We want to answer your questions about dyslexia. Call us now, our number is 1-800-807-2620 or you can e-mail us at housecall@CNN.com. To help answer your questions, we're joined by Dr. Sally Shaywitz from Yale University, she's a professor of pediatrics and the author of a new book entitled, "Overcoming Dyslexia."

Thanks for joining us, Dr. Shaywitz. We've had so much e-mail on this topic, I want to jump in first with a question from Cecilia, in California.

She asks, "If a child was had difficulty reading for several years and now, at age 12, finds -- reads reasonably well -- unlike me -- but, still does very poor at spelling, could dyslexia be the problem?"

DR. SALLY SHAYWITZ, PROF. PEDIATRICS, YALE: Yes, we've learned a great deal about reading and one of the things we've learned is that what a person has to do in order to learn to read is to learn how the letters represent the sounds of spoken language. Conversely, in spelling, children need to know how the spoken letter -- spoken words are turned into letters. And children who are dyslexic invariably have problems with spelling. Spelling, in fact, is much more difficult than reading. So sometimes, spelling will be the most noticeable symptom of a reading problem. I would advise that person to have their child tested, because good help is available.

COHEN: And, Dr. Shaywitz, you've done this fascinating imaging work that Sanjay Gupta talked about in our story. When you do the imaging work and diagnose the child early and give that child some intensive training, what kind of changes do you see in the dyslexic child?

SHAYWITZ: Well, what's been extraordinarily exciting is, as we've developed the ability to see the brain at work, to see what happens in the brain as someone reads, we've also been able to see what happens when a child gets good instruction, scientifically based instruction. And what we now know is that the brain can change. The brain can adapt to good instruction, teaching is very, very important. So, this is a very, very hopeful finding. The brain is adaptable, it's plastic and given good instruction, the brain can change and, in fact, appear comparable to that of a child who's not had a reading problem.

COHEN: Does that mean that they -- that with training they completely overcome dyslexia and become like a child who does not have dyslexia, or is the dyslexia still with them?

SHAYWITZ: Well, that's the million dollar question. What we have now are early findings. Findings in young children who've been identified early and who've been given evidence based scientifically proven reading programs and in those children, the brain imaging appears to be comparable that children have -- who haven't had any reading problems. And, also, these children appear to be able to learn not only to read accurately, but to read fluently, that is, to read quickly. So, the early signs are really there and it's very, very hopeful that as these children get older, they will not be experiencing reading problems.

COHEN: We have a phone call for you now, Dr. Shaywitz, from Gail in South Carolina.

Gail, go ahead with your question.

GAIL, COLUMBIA, SC, CALLER: Yes, my 7-year-old son was tested for reading difficulties at our state university and was diagnosed with a weakness in his reading fluency. I'm still concerned about dyslexia, even though they ruled it out, based on his performance, because we continually transposes words such as and, "a" and "the," "house" and "home" and especially the "w" for the "t" -- the what's, that's, there's, where's. They said it was developmental and that -- you know, he is a young, up and coming second grader at the age of 7, but at what age does it clearly -- can you clearly indicate dyslexia?

SHAYWITZ: Well, this is a really important question and you bring up a number of very important issues and in fact, areas where there's a great deal of confusion. First of all, let me tell you that there's no such thing as a developmental lag. Our studies, and I describe these in over -- my book, "Overcoming Dyslexia," have shown that children did not outgrow reading problems. So that once a reading problem is noticed, that child needs to have help immediately. Do not accept the notion that it's developmental or there's a developmental lag. You also mention that they found that the child wasn't reading fluently. What we've learned is that children first need to learn how to recognize words, how to identify words. But then, the next important step is being able to see a word and to automatically or fluently read that word and that's a critical step. From what you're describing to me, your child does have dyslexia and it would be very, very important to make sure that he gets help immediately. Don't delay. I say immediately, because we know that with effective programs, as we were just saying you can change the brain. So, I would advise you to go back to your school and tell them that there is no such thing as a developmental lag. If your child is having difficulties with fluency, that is a very important sign that he has a significant reading problem and that he should have help. In fact, there's been so much confusion about this, that's why I wrote my book, "Overcoming Dyslexia" to be able to have parents, like yourself, and teachers have a better idea of what dyslexia's about and how to get the best help.

COHEN: Dr. Shaywitz, thank you. We have to take a quick break, now. But, when we come back, adults and dyslexia. Many have been diagnosed and even more may think that they have dyslexia, but aren't quite sure. Some common signs and symptoms, next. Call us with your questions, our number is 1-800-807-2620 or you can e-mail us at housecall@CNN.com. WEEKEND HOUSE CALL will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: It might surprise you to know that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was diagnosed with dyslexia. So was the inventor of the light bulb, Thomas Edison. Modern day dyslectics: singer and actress, Cher; baseball great, Nolan Ryan; Olympic diver, Greg Louganis; and financial executive, Charles Schwab.

COHEN: This is WEEKEND HOUSE CALL and we're talking about overcoming dyslexia. Call us with your questions at 1-800-807-2620 or send us an e-mail at housecall@CNN.com.

While we get those phone calls lined up, let's check your health quiz. What percentage of Americans diagnosed with a learning disability have also been diagnosed with ADHD? We'll have the answer in 15 seconds, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COHEN: Checking our health quiz, we asked -- what percentage of Americans diagnosed with a learning disability, also are diagnosed with ADHD?

According to the International Dyslexia Association, the answer is 50 percent. Although the disabilities may occur at the same time, one is not the cause of the other.

We're talking about dyslexia. When you think about dyslexia, you normally think of children with learning disabilities, but it also affects adults, as well. Some common signs in adults: hiding reading problems, poor spelling, avoids writing, and dyslexics are often competent in oral language, they rely on memory, and have good people skills. Dyslexics -- dyslexic adults are often very spatially talented, they're in professions like: engineers, architects, designers, artists, and crafts people, mathematicians, physicists, physicians, and dentists. They're intuitive and good at reading people. The adult dyslexic may also have difficulty with planning and organization. Dr. Sally Shaywitz joins us in New York. We'll have an e-mail question from Shawn in Colorado.

Shaw writes, "I'm pretty sure that, now as an adult, at age 27, I have dyslexia and that I've had it all along. Is there any point to getting the testing done beyond satisfying my curiosity? Can it really help with anything now?" -- Dr. Shaywitz.

SHAYWITZ: Well, that's a good question and it really depends on where along the reading spectrum Shawn is and what his goals are. If he's continuing to struggle to read, it would be very important to be tested, because what we've learned is not only that dyslectics have difficulties, but just as you were describing, dyslexics also have many strengths. And, many dyslexics, by the time they're in their 20s and have had difficulties, they think -- well, I must not be very smart, I must be dumb. And so, testing can not only identify where the reading difficulties are, they can show strengths, as well. And, if a person is in a profession or has a job that's going to require some sort of standardized testing that's very important to know if the person has never been tested, if they have dyslexia, because then they'd be eligible to have additional time on examination.

COHEN: We have a phone call now, from Patricia in Massachusetts.

Patricia, go ahead with your question.

PATRICIA, BELMONT, MASS., CALLER: Good morning, Doctor.

SHAYWITZ: Good morning.

PATRICIA: I am an adult who's returning for a master's degree and I have been recently diagnosed with a fundamental reading disability.

SHAYWITZ: Yes.

PATRICIA: In the past, they've also diagnosed me with ADD. Is there a better test, a more reliable test that I could see whether I truly have dyslexia? My son has been diagnosed by Dr. Duffy in Boston years ago and he is an engineer, by the way so...

SHAYWITZ: He's done well.

PATRICIA: He's done quite well. I want to follow, as well.

SHAYWITZ: Well, because science has told us so much about reading and dyslexia, we really understand the reading difficulties in adults. So, I think it would be very important for you to be tested. When you get tested, it would be critical to make sure that you're given a test of reading speed, of fluency, because people who are dyslexic, as they get older, they learn to read words accurately, but not quickly. So, it's very important to have a test of oral reading fluency and a test of how fast you read, both timed and untimed. Those are very critical components in adults testing.

COHEN: Thank you Dr. Shaywitz. We have an e-mail question. This one is from John in California.

He writes, "As an adult with dyslexia who has overcome many hurdles and achieved multiple degrees, are there new techniques or treatment to improve my reading speed?" -- which we were just talking about.

SHAYWITZ: Right. Reading speed, again, is sort of the remnant of a reading difficulty in adults and what we've learned is that the way people become fluent or read quickly and the way the brain learns to read quicker and quicker, is by reading things out loud repeatedly and listening to it and correcting the reading. So, this person can do it with a partner, or you can tape record something and listen to it and correct it and record it again and again. Just as we learn to practice in sports and practice makes us do things better, practicing reading aloud, not silently, but reading aloud over and over again, until you're reading more and more correctly, is an important step in increasing someone's reading speed.

COHEN: Dr. Shaywitz, we had a caller earlier who talked about how she had a child who was dyslexic. Is dyslexic inherited? Is it passed from parent to child?

SHAYWITZ: We've learned, in fact, that a parent who has dyslexia and then has a child, that child has a 25 percent to 50 percent chance of also having dyslexia. It's not invariable, but there's a significant possibility. But, that's very hopeful, because if you know that you or someone in your family is dyslexic and you have a child, then you can be alert to what signs and clues to look for and to get that child help early, so that child can become a good reader.

COHEN: Thank you, Dr. Shaywitz. We have to take a break; now, but when we come back, testing for dyslexia. Who's qualified to test your child and where should you go for training? The answers when WEEKEND HOUSE CALL CONTINUES.

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COHEN: Welcome back to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL. We're talking about dyslexia. There's no cure for dyslexia, but with proper diagnosis, appropriate instruction, hard work and support from family, teachers, friends and others, individuals who are dyslexic can succeed in school and later as working adults. Getting your child tested early is key. Clinical or educational psychologists are qualified to diagnose dyslexia, so are school psychologists and neuropsychologists. Learning disability specialists are also qualified. You can turn to medical doctors with training and experience in the assessment of learning problems in adolescents and adults. We have an e-mail from Kathleen in Georgia.

She asks, "How do you go about finding and individual who can test a child for dyslexia? Once it is diagnosed, how do you get the school to help?" -- Dr. Shaywitz.

SHAYWITZ: That's a very good question. There are very good, well-trained specialists available. As a start, I would turn to the International Dyslexia Society or to the Academic Language Therapy Association. In my book "Overcoming Dyslexia," I provide the websites for each of these organizations.

And, once a child is diagnosed, then I would go speak to the child's teacher and try to become a partner with the teacher. Very often, the teacher might have noticed signs and symptoms, but really wasn't sure if the problem was really there. But, now that you have a diagnosis, I would speak to the child's teacher and perhaps to the school psychologist and try to arrange a meeting -- a pupil placement team meeting, so that a proper program can be developed for your child. It's very, very important to appreciate that the important thing is not only getting special help, but what is the nature of that help? Because the label, "special education," alone doesn't guarantee that your child will be getting the proper instruction that she or he needs. So, you want to make sure that the programs that are used have evidence that support that they are actually effective.

COHEN: Dr. Shaywitz, you mentioned that at Yale you were doing intensive training with some young children with dyslexia and that you had some success. Would I have to come to Yale to get that if I had a dyslexic child, or is that kind of intensive training available at other places?

SHAYWITZ: Well, the good news is now that we understand dyslexia so much better, the intensive training, the effective intensive training is available in many, many places. And, in fact, as a result of the "No child left behind, reading first" law, that training is now mandated, particularly for disadvantaged children, in all of our states. So it's very, very good news that we have evidence of which programs are effective and these are available everywhere.

COHEN: That's great.

Well, Andrea in Michigan has a question for us on the telephone.

Andrea, go ahead.

ANDREA, WATERFORD, MICHIGAN CALLER: Thank you. I really appreciate you doing this show on dyslexia. I've been very frustrated in getting any kind of help for my son. He's recently diagnosed with dyslexia, he also has the topic sensitivity syndrome. He's had trouble reading all his life. And I'm wondering, is it too old -- is he too old to get help?

SHAYWITZ: How old is he?

ANDREA: At 16?

SHAYWITZ: Oh, you're never too old. That's one of the things we've learned. It gets more difficult as children get older and become young adults, but it's never too old. But, this is the time to really make sure he has the help he needs. Because we understand reading and dyslexia as never before, we have many more and much more effective programs. You need to go speak with your school and make sure that he has been, first of all, appropriately diagnosed and has had the testing that is required, and then he receives affective reading instruction.

COHEN: Doctor of Shaywitz, thank you. When we come back, we'll have final thoughts from our doctor about dyslexia, how to diagnose and treat it. When we come back.

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COHEN: If you'd like more information on dyslexia, check out the International Dyslexia Association's Web site, go to www.inter- dys.org. Dyslexia was also the cover story of last week's "Time" magazine, you can read more at time.com. We've been joined today, by Dr. Sally Shaywitz with Yale University.

Dr. Shaywitz, tell us, what are the keys to overcoming dyslexia?

SHAYWITZ: Well, the keys are to understand that there has been extraordinary scientific progress in understanding dyslexia and to ensure that these are translated into early identification and effective proven treatment. I've written about these in "Overcoming Dyslexia," because with when we now know, it is possible for virtually every child to become a reader. The key is to become a knowledgeable parent. Every child needs a champion. To champion your child, because it's possible, as never before, for every child to be able to read, the evidence is there. We now have to put the knowledge and the science into practice.

COHEN: Thank you, Dr. Shaywitz. That's all we have time for, today. Make sure to tune in next weekend for another edition of "WEEKEND HOUSE CALL" that's 8:30 a.m. Eastern on Saturday and Sunday. Remember, this is the place for the answers to your medical questions. Thanks for watching. I'm Elizabeth Cohen.

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