Audiobooks Aren’t Cheating (and Other Things I Learned Raising Dyslexic Kids)

Consultant Terra Lynch is back with the second post in her series for Dyslexia Awareness Month. To learn more about and from Terra, be sure to read her first piece in this series, “What I Wish I’d Known: A Parent’s Guide to Dyslexia.” —Teri

If your child has just been diagnosed with dyslexia, you might be wondering what you can do at home to support them. Here’s what helped my two kids, along with the resources I keep recommending to other families.

Listening to an audiobook via headphones can be paired with a lot of activities.

Talk about dyslexia openly

Here’s how I explained the dyslexia diagnosis to my daughter, who loved to run and won a lot of first-place medals doing it:

“You know how running comes easily to you, and you’ve won lots of races? Other kids have to practice really hard just to finish a race.” She nodded. “Reading is like that. It comes easily to some people, like it did for me, but it takes a lot more work for you.” She nodded again. The story of me learning to read before school was part of family lore. “That’s what dyslexia is. Your brain learns to read in a different way, so you’ll need extra practice. You’ll get to work with a special teacher at school who knows how to help.” She seemed relieved.

Protect the relationship

When reading homework turned into tears (sometimes mine, sometimes my kids’), we stopped, and I let the teacher know how hard it was so we could problem solve together the next day. There were times I chose to have them do less at-home reading practice for the sake of our relationship, even with the pressure to log a certain number of minutes a night. I don’t regret it.

If you can, share daily reading homework with a partner, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or cousin. Some kids like reading to their pets, too.

Talk out loud about your own challenges

We’re all working on something. I’m not dyslexic, but I find it challenging to coordinate schedules for our busy family of four. I try to say out loud when I’m feeling frustrated or annoyed about it, and then share what strategy I’m using to cope as a way to model for my kids. For example, I might say, “It’s overwhelming how many places we have to be on Saturday at 10! I’m going to call Jennifer to see about carpooling to soccer.” Or, I stand in front of the shared digital calendar and narrate, “Saturday’s game is at 10am. Let me add it here with a note that Jennifer is driving.” It doesn’t have to be self-talk, either. I look for chances to talk with other adults about doing hard things, and I have those conversations when the kids are in earshot.

A visual family calendar in a central spot helps kids see a memory strategy in action.

Point out role models

Because dyslexia runs in families, you probably have role models close by. Once you start talking about it, you'll find dyslexic neighbors, coworkers, and friends. Consider printing this slideshow of famous dyslexics to hang at your children’s school (with permission, of course!) or around your home.

Feed their minds, not just their reading level

Did you know that books are vocabulary boosters, with many more rare words than come up in conversations? And that books account for a 30% difference in language skills by high school? Some studies suggest that empathy can increase after reading a novel. Those benefits come from the language and ideas in books, not from decoding. This is why staying connected to high-level books matters so much for dyslexic students. If decoding limits how much they read, read-alouds, audiobooks, and podcasts are ways to keep their love of reading alive.

Audiobooks aren’t cheating! Decoding is hard work, and audio kept my kids connected to stories even when reading itself was a chore. They learned to separate the literature from decoding. Listening together also gave us something to share when the process of reading was painful.

Jumping to the numbers. (Photo from Pexels)

Get them moving

My kids were worn out at the end of the school day. They have always been active and athletic, and once they’d had a snack and some time to run around or to chill, I noticed that movement helped them focus when it came time for homework. One did reading homework standing up. The other used a chair band to fiddle with while seated. Listening to an assigned book while building Lego, or bouncing on a trampoline while practicing math facts—sometimes learning while moving worked better than sitting still. Talking with them about what helped them focus also gave them practice in self-awareness and the words to advocate for it at school.

Magnetic letters on the fridge offer a fun, low-key way to play around with words at home.

Try hands-on tools

Montessori phonetic reading blocks (wooden cubes printed with letters that kids turn to build words) were a good break from school readers. Keeping letters and color-coded words on the fridge or whiteboard were other ways for my kids to engage with reading (and spelling) outside of homework time. It was fun to take time together to read what people wrote and reflect on the changes that happened during the week. Being able to touch and move the letters and words made a difference for my kids.

Audio Options for Kids

There are a number of ways to listen to books. Here’s an overview:

• Learning Ally
  Best for: Textbooks and school reading, with words highlighted as they're read
  Cost: Free for qualifying students in Texas public schools through a state contract; paid membership otherwise

• Libby
  Best for: Listening just for the joy of a story; two-week loans, sometimes with a wait
  Cost: Free app; use your public library card

• Audible
  Best for: The favorites your child will listen to again and again
  Cost: Paid by monthly subscription

• Speechify
  Best for: Choice of natural voices to read websites, PDFs, and online textbooks (My daughter had the voice of President Obama read her Emergency Medical Technician textbook aloud!)
  Cost: Annual fee

• Podcasts
  Great for: Building background knowledge (Wow in the World, Brains On!, Story Pirates, Circle Round, and Book Club for Kids were hits in our house.)
  Cost: Free

Books stacked in a print-rich environment

Books for Parents

These are some of the books that helped me deepen my understanding of dyslexia and better support my kids: 

• Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz, from one of the leading researchers on dyslexia

• The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock and Fernette Eide, on the strengths that often come with dyslexia

• The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan by Ben Foss, written by a dyslexic author for parents

• Dyslexia Advocate! by Kelli Sandman-Hurley, on working with public schools

Websites and Organizations

These are the websites I go to most often for information and advice:

• Texas Dyslexia Handbook (TEA), the rules Texas schools follow

• Understood.org, practical tips for parents

• International Dyslexia Association

• Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity

• Impact Dyslexia, Texas advocacy and education

• Your local dyslexia parent group 

To Listen to or Watch

• Sold a Story (2022), an award-winning podcast on why so many schools have taught reading in ways that don’t work

• Left Behind (2025), a documentary film about a group of New York City mothers who fought for three years to open a public school for kids with dyslexia

• Embracing Dyslexia (2013), a documentary about family life with dyslexic kids, made by the father of an 8-year-old with dyslexia (I cried my eyes out.)

• What Is Dyslexia? (2026), a free animated short from Made By Dyslexia, made for kids and good to watch as a family right after a diagnosis (I love how the credits show explicitly how many of the actors, writers, musicians, and producers of the film are dyslexic thinkers.)

If you’re worried about your child’s reading, or navigating school and family life after a dyslexia diagnosis, I’d love to talk with you. You can book a consultation with me here.

—Terra Lynch | Consultant

What I Wish I’d Known: A Parent's Guide to Dyslexia

Terra Lynch, Consultant

In honor of Dyslexia Awareness Month, I invited Terra Lynch to share some of her professional and personal insights. Terra has spent 25 years in public, charter, and independent schools in Texas and New York. She founded the Learning Specialist role at Headwaters School and served as its Middle School Director. She is co-author of Protocols in the Classroom, trained in Basic Language Skills at the Rawson Saunders Institute, and co-founded a neighborhood dyslexia parent support group. Now a consultant, Terra helps kids and families understand a dyslexia diagnosis and advocate for themselves at school. —Teri

“She’s not where I thought she would be in reading.”

My daughter’s birthday fell one day past the public school kindergarten cutoff, so she stayed in her forest pre-K program while her friends moved on. A couple of months in, she was adamant about wanting a more traditional classroom experience. By November, we found a private kindergarten with room for her, and she settled into the routines quickly. But not the reading.

Flowers in a vase, made in the art center

“She has single-handedly transformed the art center into a hub of activity,” her teacher continued at our first conference. “She shows incredible creativity there and loves the playground. But she’s having trouble with reading and writing.”

I was perplexed. We read to her for at least an hour a day, often more. Our house was full of books, magazines, and newspapers. She loved listening to stories and making up her own, which I would write down. She relished multi-step projects. Yes, she still mixed up some letter sounds (Yion instead of Lion, for example), but her spoken vocabulary was huge. Her fine motor skills were advanced. Yet reading and writing were a struggle.

A kindergarten writing assignment says “I love books!”

At that time, schools commonly told families to wait until first grade to test. So, we waited. By first grade she was hiding her homework books, crying during homework time, cutting her clothes, and picking at her fingernails at school. Our happy, high-spirited girl started saying things like "I hate grades" and "I hate school." She is the daughter and granddaughter of teachers. It was heartbreaking to watch.

I requested an evaluation from the school district. After a mid-year meeting and a few months of data-gathering, the school agreed to evaluate her, and the diagnosis came that spring: dyslexia.

First place: one of many running medals

We explained it to her like this: “You know how running comes easily to you, and you’ve won lots of races? Other kids have to practice really hard just to finish one.” She nodded. “Reading is like that. It comes easily to some people, like Mom, but it takes a lot more work for you.” She nodded again--the story of me learning to read before school was part of family lore. “That’s what dyslexia is. Your brain learns to read in a different way, so you’ll need extra practice. You’ll get to work with a special teacher at school who knows how to help.”  She seemed relieved. Better still, once the specialized reading instruction began, her confidence came back. It took five years and a lot of hard work on her part for her to read at grade level, but she did it (and we are forever grateful to Mrs. Fuller for that!)

A few years later, my son was diagnosed too. At the start of first grade he felt that something was off, and told me, "I'm the oldest kid in my class, but I'm the worst reader!" This time the process moved faster. He began working with the reading specialist right away, and the diagnosis soon confirmed what we expected: dyslexia.

Once we knew, I set out to learn everything I could. I joined a parent dyslexia group, and then co-founded one in my own neighborhood that grew to 30 members. I earned a certificate from Austin’s Rawson Saunders Institute to teach Basic Language Skills, a structured literacy curriculum, so I know what good dyslexia instruction looks like. I created the Learning Specialist position at a local independent school, where I went on to become the principal of the middle school. I coached students, parents, and teachers through evaluation, diagnosis, advocacy, and day-to-day tools and support. I’ve seen dyslexia at the kitchen table, in the classroom, and in the principal’s office. Now I want to help other families spend less time struggling and more time getting what their kids need.

My son’s specialized reading practice

What I wish I’d known

• Dyslexia is common, and it runs in families. Estimates range from about 5 to 20 percent of people, depending on how it’s defined. If you or your partner struggled with reading in school, or your grades didn’t reflect your knowledge, one of you may be dyslexic, too.

• Don’t wait. Waiting delays instruction and costs confidence. Texas schools must screen for dyslexia in kindergarten and first grade, so ask for your child’s results. If you want an evaluation, put your request in writing. A written request gives the district 15 school days to respond.

• Know which meeting you’re walking into. Since 2023, Texas treats dyslexia as a specific learning disability under federal special education law (IDEA). Many families now go through an ARD meeting, not only a 504 meeting. The rights and paperwork are different, and confusing.

• A teaching certificate doesn’t guarantee dyslexia training. Texas early-grade teachers must pass a Science of Teaching Reading exam, but a test is not the same as training in structured literacy. Your child’s teacher may not recognize the signs.

• Your child is not lazy. Research suggests that once a child decodes well, they may need only one to four successful readings to learn a new word. A struggling reader may need dozens of repetitions, which is why consistent, well-designed instruction matters so much.

Where I can help

Maybe you just heard “she's not where we expected” at a conference. Maybe you have an evaluation report and aren’t sure what it says, or how to share it with your child. I work with parents on:

• Understanding the evaluation and diagnosis in plain language

• Talking with your child about dyslexia so they understand how their brain works and keep believing in themselves as learners

• Preparing for teacher conferences with specific questions to ask and observations to share

• Getting ready for 504 and ARD meetings: what to expect, what to ask for, and how to follow up

My daughter, who once told me, “I hate school,” is now earning her nursing degree. She works on an ambulance, manages a band, and took last semester off to travel to eleven countries in five months. My son, who called himself the worst reader in his first grade class, is now a high school junior taking multiple AP classes. After a car design course in Turin last summer, he plans to learn Italian fluently and study transportation design in college.

If you’re worried about your child’s reading, or navigating school and family life after a diagnosis, I’d love to talk with you. You can book a consultation with me here.

My daughter’s illustration from middle school comparing the dyslexic brain to a neurotypical brain

—Terra Lynch | Consultant

Does your bright child have dyslexia? Warning signs that this thinking style is not being maximized at school

Guest contributor Deanne Repich is Co-Founder and Head of School at Great Minds Learning Community, a three-day micro-school tailored to the unique needs of gifted and twice-exceptional kids, including bright kids with dyslexia, ADHD/hypermobile, sensory processing challenges, vision challenges, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, chemical sensitivity and allergies, Asperger’s/High Functioning Autism, anxiety, or social difficulties. The micro-school features personalized, differentiated learning; a sensory-friendly environment; key supports for your gifted or 2e child’s unique gifts and challenges; and student-driven, project-based learning in an environment that nurtures the whole child intellectually, emotionally, and socially. An educator for almost two decades with experience in gifted and 2e kids, she is a Positive Discipline in the Classroom certified educator, a member of SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted), and a mom to two twice-exceptional children. You can learn more at greatmindslc.com or contact Deanne directly at deanne@greatmindslc.com.


Your bright child has been diagnosed with dyslexia. Maybe it’s a new diagnosis, or maybe you’ve been dealing with your child’s school’s well-meaning but incomplete accommodations for dyslexia for years and are frustrated.

Dyslexia is a gift and a challenge that affects 1 in 5 people in the U.S. Yes, it’s a challenge. However, it's vitally important to realize that “dyslexia” is merely a label to describe a unique way of processing information that, in addition to its challenges, gives other incredibly important advantages.

Although reading and spelling are areas of difficulty for people with dyslexia, scientific evidence suggests that dyslexics have multiple areas of strength from their thinking style, such as excellent spatial reasoning, narrative reasoning and seeing the big picture, reasoning well in dynamic settings, a strong ability to learn from experience because of how they remember facts as experiences or stories, out-of-the box solutions to problems, empathy, and critical thinking.
 

Warning Signs

Your child’s school is not maximizing the immense power of his dyslexic thinking style if he is:

• Losing recess or being excluded from activities because of needing more time to complete homework involving reading
• Being punished (e.g. having to pick up trash) during recess because of needing more time to complete homework involving reading
• Missing favorite subjects consistently to be pulled out for specialized reading support
• Being pigeonholed as either being gifted or having a disability instead of having both needs met
• Not given the daily opportunity to display learning mastery that reflects his true intellectual potential through strengths-based alternatives to reading, such as through audio, video, or hands-on projects
• Not given frequent targeted, individualized instruction in an Orton-Gillingham-based system to improve reading and spelling skills
• Being teased by other kids about his reading level and the administration minimizing your concerns about it
• Being “tolerated” or “accommodated” for the learning difference instead of the immense gifts of his thinking style being truly celebrated
• Given support for reading and spelling only, not the many other challenges that typically go along with dyslexia, such as directionality, telling time, organization, social challenges, and so on
• Called “lazy,” “stubborn,” “uncooperative,” or other negative characteristics, when in fact the learning difference is the main reason behind the “problems”

Looking at famous successful dyslexic role models, such as billionaire Virgin Airlines founder Richard Branson, physicist Albert Einstein, actress Whoopi Goldberg, writer Agatha Christie, and director Steven Spielberg (and many, many, others), not to mention the 40-60% of self-made millionaires who were diagnosed as dyslexic, shows us that this thinking style is important in our world and can lead to a path of success for your child.
 

Positive Signs

What does a school that helps your child see and nurture the many gifts of her dyslexic thinking style look like? Like this:

• No penalties, punishments, or exclusions because of dyslexia. Being included in recess and other fun activities even when she needs more time to complete projects involving reading
• Teachers addressing and nurturing both her intellectual gifts and the lagging skills due to dyslexia effectively
• Mastery shown in a format that matches his strengths (e.g. oral or project-based demonstration of mastery) while encouraging growth in areas of lagging skills
• Regular targeted, individualized instruction in an Orton-Gillingham-based system to improve reading and spelling skills
• School culture that celebrates (not just tolerates) her unique gifts and strengths coming from her thinking style
• Guided support for non-reading ways that dyslexia presents challenges (organization, reading maps, social difficulties, difficulty keeping to a schedule, etc.)
• Passion-based learning support for lagging skills. This means getting to know what makes your child tick and using passions as a doorway to developing lagging skills, through “just-right” challenges
• Support for uneven learning in different subjects and skills, understanding that kids, especially very bright learners, have uneven development across subjects and skills
• Learning with peers with similar thinking styles. You’d be amazed how quickly your child’s self-esteem soars when she is in a room with several other bright, dyslexic kids with whom she can relate
• Teachers that understand learning differences and know that your child is not lazy, stubborn, or other negative characteristics, that respect your child and provide nurturing and guided support

If your child’s school experience looks more like the Warning Signs I described, it’s time to work with your child’s school toward substantial positive change. If that doesn’t work, it might be time to consider switching to a school that will help him realize his full potential and find success through the powerful gifts of his unique thinking style.

After all, most of us gravitate toward our strengths and find success and fulfillment there in life, both professionally and personally, and your child is no different. It is time well-invested to help your child leverage her strengths, and her dyslexic thinking style is a huge one.

Deanne Repich

Reversing dyslexia? A response from Dr. Books

In guest contributor Shari Holland’s review of the recent book Reversing Dyslexia, she voices several common concerns about author Phyllis Books’s unusual claims. Upon Alt Ed Austin’s invitation, Dr. Books has responded to Ms. Holland’s critique. We encourage you to join the conversation by leaving a comment below.

Dr. Phyllis BooksThank you so much for the opportunity to address the comments from Shari Holland regarding my first book. There are points on which Shari and I agree. For example, I think it is fair to say we both agree that dyslexia, as well as many other learning challenges, and indeed our overall health and well-being, respond well to good lifestyle habits, which include adequate sleep, healthy eating, and a good balance of work and play. It is easy to take these natural methods for granted or even dismiss their importance.

The Hawthorne Effect, which she discusses, is another area of agreement. Positive psychology, placebo studies, even studies on plants, all point out the importance of a positive framework to seed a positive outcome. Before I work with children, I have parents agree with me about who is responsible for what during our time together. One tenet is for the parent to keep an open mind and to hold the space for the child to change. There are many factors (such as getting decent nutrition, sufficient exercise, and enough sleep) that I have no control over but ultimately affect the long-term success of Books Neural Therapy^TM (BNT).

Shari writes, “Dr. Books seems to contradict herself about whether dyslexia is reversible. At one point, she writes that dyslexia may not be permanent.” The very fact that I have no control over variables mentioned above is reason for me to not make 100 percent guarantees. I willingly affirm that I have an 85 percent success rate, which, as my brochures and other literature say, is based on questionnaires gathered from clients six to ten years after treatment.

There are, however, several points I would like to correct or on which I would like to offer another view:

Shari states that she “found the organization of the book confusing and the logic muddled.” And “[I use] ‘dyslexia’ interchangeably with so many words describing learning challenges it’s hard to understand why [I] used dyslexia in the title.”

I have a degree in English and a master’s degree in communication, and my first thought was to find her comment disconcerting were it not for the fact that my publisher, who has been very successful over the past thirty years in publishing books written by professionals, chose to develop the chapters in a formula that works for most readers.

Upon further reflection, I wonder if some of the uncertainty she experienced about the title might not be caused by what the publisher left out of the contents of my book as originally submitted. My original book, before the publisher put the editing crew on it, was more of a “how to” guide for parents. The subtitle “Improving Learning and Behavior without Drugs” still reflects my original intention with the book; however, much of the content morphed into a different kind of book.  The publisher thought it best that my first book help establish me as a neutral expert in the field of dyslexia by explaining the whole playing field of dyslexia—describing the larger context of dyslexia, its many facets, and ways dyslexia can affect someone’s life—and offering insight and suggestions for addressing the various forms of dyslexia and issues the family member might be dealing with at any particular age. In the published content, I can see how she might mix up the definition of dyslexia, the definition of the various other diagnoses that may or may not accompany dyslexia, and the various ways children handle the emotional issues that so often accompany dyslexia.

Dyslexia is not a one-dimensional issue, which is one of the main points of the book. As Dr. Fred Pescatore, a New York–based integrative physician and author of several books on children’s health, states in the foreword to my book, “Dyslexia is not simply having difficulty with reading and writing. It is a disorder that permeates a person’s entire life, promoting all sorts of unwanted symptoms, from poor organizational skills to behavior and attitude problems.”

Shari writes, “If dyslexia is reversible, why talk to parents about choosing a tutor or a college that caters to dyslexic students?”

Actually, that was also my first response when my publisher insisted on adding a chapter on schooling, tutoring, and extracurricular activities. His response was wise: “You don’t know when people are going to pick up your book. Their child may be about to enter college when they first see your book. You need to meet people where they are. And since you aren’t there in person, you have to consider all possible situations, not just if their children have access to you at an early age.”

Shari wonders why I wrote the book if it wasn’t to promote my own therapy.

The preface says: “I wrote this book to dispel the myth that dyslexia is permanent. The idea that learning disorders are unchangeable is simply untrue, and it harms children. . . . I also wrote this book to open minds to a new way of looking at dyslexia, to create empowered advocates for dyslexic kids, and to make sure individuals get the help they need to dismantle the problem of dyslexia for good. Most of all, I wrote this book to help free the human spirit—the spirit that still lies inside every dyslexic person and begs to be unchained.”

Final thoughts: I’m passionate about my work with children, and I love my life. My life is geared around helping children become healthy, happy, and self-reliant—and to be free enough to usher their dreams into reality.

It takes a new mindset to believe there is hope for your dyslexic child, especially when “the experts” have ingrained the idea that it is permanent. My book may not be accepted well by people who want to hold onto their old beliefs. Even Einstein said, “I have all the new facts about quantum mechanics. I just don’t want to believe it.”

“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right” is a statement very apropos with regard to dyslexia. If you believe and choose to hold onto your belief that dyslexia isn’t reversible, it won’t be. Not because that belief is true, but because your child will pick up on your belief—the belief of traditional education and the medical model which are embedded with the concept that dyslexia is permanent.

“We should never wait for science to give us permission to do the uncommon; if we do, then we are turning science into another religion. We should be brave enough to contemplate our lives and move ‘outside the box’ and do it repeatedly” (Dr. Joe Dispenza in Evolve Your Brain). I encourage all parents to be brave enough to follow their own internal compass. You know your child better than any expert. Scientific studies don’t trump your own truth, and no two dyslexics are alike. Seek help wherever you can. Believe in your own ability to choose wisely. Keep looking for ways to bring out your child’s highest potential. Believe in your child. The world needs you both.

Dr. Phyllis Books

Reversing dyslexia?

Alt Ed Austin is pleased to present two differing perspectives on the recent book Reversing Dyslexia by Phyllis Books, a chiropractor, nutritionist, and author based in Austin. The first is in the form of a thoughtful review (below) by Shari Holland, an Austin consultant and parent of a child diagnosed with dyslexia. The second (posted here) is Dr. Books’s response to Ms. Holland’s specific criticisms of the book. What do you think? We encourage you to make respectful use of the comments section below to continue the discussion.

Guest contributor Shari HollandHaving watched my ten-year-old son struggle with dyslexia, I visualize his challenge as a very tall wall, like the kind in a military obstacle course, one that you have to haul yourself up and over, maybe with the aid of ropes, maybe with help from others. This wall of words is very tall for some kids yet hardly present for those of us who easily and eagerly learned to read. Information—science, geography, fiction, even jokes and comics—is on the other side of the wall. The effort it takes to get to the information he craves is significant for my son.

When a friend passed along Phyllis Books’s recent book Reversing Dyslexia, I was intrigued. I had previously visited her website because I had heard about a technique she uses with dyslexic kids. This book only mentions her technique by name once in a brief paragraph among a list of alternative methods that presumably may prove useful in reversing dyslexia. If her book were simply a tool for marketing her technique, I could understand her purpose in writing it. But since it doesn’t do that, the book is all the more puzzling.

The flaws are numerous and significant. Reversing Dyslexia is long on opinion and anecdotes (most have nothing to do with dyslexia) and short on research. While Dr. Books has footnotes unevenly scattered throughout the book, many of the sources she cites are dated. She acknowledges that there is little research to support her claim that dyslexia is reversible, saying that case studies have to be sufficient proof until funds are available to study alternative therapies, including her own. She uses “dyslexia” interchangeably with so many words describing learning challenges (such as ADHD) that it’s hard to understand why she used “dyslexia” in the title. In the chapter titled “Determining Dyslexia” she bizarrely claims that self-mutilation (“cutting”) and drug and alcohol abuse may be clues that your child has dyslexia (or another learning disorder). And although I am not aware that there are currently any pharmaceuticals on the market for dyslexia, the subtitle of her book is “Improving Learning and Behavior without Drugs.” In the chapter called “Rewiring the Brain,” she writes that “dyslexics may be able to adjust their learning processes without using . . . pharmaceuticals.” I found the organization of the book confusing, and the research and logic muddled.  

Dr. Books’s website is as perplexing as her book. The details about her technique, called Books Neural Therapy, are vague, presumably because it is proprietary. The price of her services is also not disclosed. In an email exchange with her a year ago, she quoted her online course at around $1,000, with an unspecified higher cost if you work directly with her in her office. Her website claims that she has an 85 percent success rate in reversing dyslexia, but she provides no information about how this percentage is calculated and over what period.

Another organization, the Brain Balance Achievement Centers (BBAC), makes claims very similar to Dr. Books’s about the ability to ameliorate a whole host of learning and social disorders. The BBAC (there is one in Austin) offers a similar package of proprietary techniques that are designed to create new neural pathways based on the concept of brain plasticity. BBAC also does not disclose its pricing, but a number of blogs and message boards suggest that the cost is upwards of $5,000 for a three-month round of therapy – and since more time might be needed to see improvements in your child, the payout could be significant. Criticisms of the BBAC are easy to find on the internet (search:  “brain balance criticism”).

None of the educators, researchers, neurologists, psychologists, and chiropractors that I have consulted in the last few years has ever suggested that dyslexia can be eliminated. Moreover, even Dr. Books seems to contradict herself about whether dyslexia is reversible. At one point, she writes that dyslexia “may not . . . be permanent.” The chapter on “Schooling, Tutoring, and Extracurricular Activities” inexplicably discusses the academic supports that will be helpful to dyslexics. But if dyslexia is reversible, why talk to parents about choosing a tutor or a college that caters to dyslexic students?

While her argument is just not convincing, I do not think that it is necessary to “prove” that dyslexia is reversible. The point is that children with dyslexia will be profoundly affected by it—academically, socially, and emotionally—and it is our responsibility as parents to mitigate the effects as best we can.

I agree with Dr. Books that stress can impact learning, nutrition and creative play are very important to a child’s brain development, and dyslexia is multifaceted and varied; for those reasons, an integrated approach to addressing a dyslexic child’s needs makes sense. But before spending thousands of dollars on a vaguely defined program, I’d suggest starting with getting your family’s emotional house in order, making improvements in your family’s healthy food intake, and reading up on what you can do at home or within your child’s school to address your child’s needs.

I have no doubt that Dr. Books has helped many of her clients overcome obstacles and make improvements in their lives. I’m no stranger to alternative therapies, and over the years my son and I have seen acupuncturists, chiropractors, a cranial-sacral therapist, counselors, and tutors and tried herbal, homeopathic, and other types of home remedies, with many positive outcomes. While he still struggles with dyslexia, he has experienced great improvements.

The Hawthorne Effect cannot be overlooked when it comes to alternative therapies or any intervention. To paraphrase: a child to whom positive intention is directed will improve. This may explain positive results as much as anything in some situations. As parents, we are called to summon our best efforts to address the needs of our children. Our job is to help our children understand how their dyslexic brains make them special and how to make the wall separating them from knowledge and information less daunting to scale. You may choose to engage a village of mainstream and alternative teachers, therapists, and practitioners to work with you and your child, which may involve parting with some hard-earned cash; some will be beneficial and some will not be. The only certainty is that there is no silver bullet (yet), and all we can do is search for what works for our own families, within our means.

Shari Holland