A University of Houston psychology professor is challenging the notion that dyslexia, or specific reading disorder, stems from a single faulty gene in the brain, suggesting instead that it is caused by an overall brain network vulnerability. The insight reshapes understanding of one of the world’s most common learning disorders, which affects up to 20% of the world’s population—nearly 780 million people who face lifelong challenges with reading.
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Parents often tell their children to sound out the words as they are learning to read. It makes sense: Since they already know how to speak, the sound of a word might serve as a clue to its meaning.
It turns out there’s a surprising and deep connection between what’s going on in your mouth and how your brain handles reading, and a University of Alberta research team hopes to use it to help people with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.
In a new study with the alliterative title Perturbing the pathway: The impact of lollipops and lidocaine on supramarginal gyrus activity during silent reading tasks, the team found that numbing the mouth can help people read faster.
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Creative Sound Play recognizes what science and caregivers have long observed: humans communicate, bond, and learn through sound before words, symbols, or formal music. From giggles and coos to call-and-response vocal play, sound is a child’s first language—and one of the most accessible, inclusive educational tools available to educators today.
Dr. Mireault’s research highlights laughter as a mechanism for social bonding and emotional regulation, particularly in moments of surprise, play, and shared attention. Creative Sound Play extends this understanding into classrooms by intentionally using vocal sounds, clapping, stomping, silence, rhythm, and playful listening to strengthen relationships, support self-regulation, and transform everyday moments—especially transition times—into meaningful learning experiences.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed a comment his mom made “cruelly” in his upcoming memoir as the 58-year-old Democrat struggled with severe dyslexia growing up.
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Across multiple cases and school-administered reports, students who participated in NOW! Programs®, an evidence- and research-based approach grounded in developmental brain science, demonstrated:
In several reports, students’ reading was previously below the 10th percentile and later they scored in the 50th to 80th percentile ranks, as documented by independent school assessments. The school-reported assessment outcomes align with federal and state expectations for evidence-based instruction under ESSA and IDEA, demonstrating measurable gains rather than reliance on compensatory strategies.
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Barbara Wirostko, MD, FARVO, is a glaucoma clinician-researcher and Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah, Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City. Outside of her ophthalmological work, she runs a national nonprofit charity supporting young adults with dyslexia who are pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In this Q&A, Wirostko shares how personal loss led her to create a foundation that has transformed hundreds of lives.
How did you get into this work? I did not “choose” to do this work—it essentially evolved out of need. In 2014, our son, Joseph James, died suddenly in a car crash. He was a junior at Montana State University (MSU), studying mechanical engineering. We asked our community to donate in lieu of spending money on flowers. What began as a local grassroots effort has turned into a national volunteer nonprofit, the Joseph James Morelli Legacy Foundation. Over 11 years, we have awarded close to $900,000 in 496 scholarships across 44 states.
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