Smart But Feeling Dumb: New Understanding and Dramatic Treatment for Dyslexia

by Harold N. Levinson

In an easy-to-understand narrative style, Dr. Harold Levinson captures and portrays the true nature and essence of dyslexia and its related attention deficit and anxiety disorders. And by relying on and analyzing the actual descriptive content of dyslexics, he simultaneously provides readers with the first and only way of medically understanding, diagnosing, treating, and even preventing dyslexia and its devastating impact on self-esteem. This is a book that provides real hope and help to countless millions. And by contrasting his patient-based groundbreaking insights vs. those theoretically-derived by traditionalists, Dr. Levinson appears to weave a fascinating tale of two theories - one that works miracles vs. one that has led absolutely nowhere scientifically for over a century. By carefully listening to the many and varied dyslexics presented here, you will be led, as was Dr. Levinson, to simply and naturally solve all the puzzling riddles characterizing this previously mystifying disorder. And readers will also come to realize the vital key to this that dyslexics, and not experts, truly feel, intuitively understand and thus ultimately define their disorder. Last and most important, the vital therapeutic insights within this work will enable all dyslexics to feel as smart as they really are and ensure that they successfully fulfill the goals and dreams that otherwise might never have been possible.

Genres: Reference

488 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Jil Macmenamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

After I finished this book I cried - well I cried all through it. Someone finally understood what it takes for me to learn. This book is well loved and referenced often.

[Rob Markley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has a real air of credibility about it. Anyone who has broad dyslexia symptoms themselves, or with someone close, will see the light go on. The whole dyslexia 'thing' has never made sense before reading this book - clearly dyslexia is not simply mixing letters up in reading and clearly involves a lot of other expressions that don't seemingly relate. Various 'establishment' (including Dyslexia Societies in various forms) explanations for this broadness tend to put dyslexia onto an autism spectrum as if that somehow explains anything... which doesn't really help in the least, in fact can be quite harmful in labelling. For one thing apologists for dyslexia are always claiming high functioning/achieving dyslexics from history, at the same time disavowing any savant type causes and therefore have no explanation on offer behind their examples.

Levinson on the other hand takes a logical position in putting the whole raft of manifestations together as inner ear dysfunction. In other words, we have long known that perhaps counter intuitively, the inner ear controls balance through sensory input to the cerebellum part of the brain. What then if all other sensory inputs and processing also happened in the same locality!?!

Levinson's extension has been to experiment with medicines that have demonstrable effect on this inner ear operation, for example motion sickness medicines and has found great efficacy across the whole raft of dyslexia outcomes. Here in lies the problem - his findings are not through the scientific method of hypothesising and experimental testing, but through clinical practicality and outcomes. Probably for this reason his ideas, proven by unconventional means, have not become established in the mainstream, and are only narrowly known popularly even after 40 odd years. Levinson must be nearing the end surely and so what then for his ideas?

As insightful though these ideas might be, I have to ask what use can this book can be? It is no easy read and is structured dyslexically (all over the place), reading too much as a plea for agreement than a 'how to' or a 'please explain'. Therefore what practical application? Levinson applies far too 'medical' an approach and unless one has friendly access (most unlikely given the failure of the ideas to enter the mainstream) to the medical establishment you have no avenue to pursue. There are no tools on offer and no strategies to pursue. So we have the answer, but what can we do then?

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart but Feeling Dumb is an updated version of a book originally published in 1984. Although I have not read the original copy, the author states that his work and treatment methods have changed very little in the thirty years. In this way, the book merely serves to reinforce his method through presentation of a variety of case studies.

Interestingly, the definition of dyslexia presented in this book is quite different than commonly seen. In this case, dyslexia is expanded to include a variety of speech, emotional, mental, temporal, and directional issues such as the slip of the tongue, a problem telling time, social anxiety, ADHD, and awkward coordination.

According to the author, all of these conditions are caused by inner ear problems which can be treated with a combination of anti-nausea medications, antihistamines, and stimulants. Treatment takes one to four years and is 75-80% effective. The author states that this rate would be much higher if people’s bodies metabolized the medications more efficiently. It would seem that the medications do not cure the patients. Instead, the medications naturally teach the patients how to cope with their conditions.

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my friends recommended Smart But Feeling Dumb to me. It provides me with understanding of the world dyslexics are in and enables me to help my friends with dyslexia. No matter whether or not this book solves all of the riddles of dyslexia, it really gives hope and encouragement to those 'smart but feeling dumb' people.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A informative book that made me understand the world of dyslexia. Really helpful to whose who suffered dyslexia for years and kept blaming themselves.