The Dore Identity: A Brilliant Illusionist

Introduction — Setting the Record Straight

In a recent book published by Wynford Dore entitled, Dyslexia: The Miracle Cure, Dore devoted Chapter 4 (pgs. 45–55) to our past relationship. Since Dore and his worldwide clinics are becoming better known, a detailed clarification of his self-acclaimed altruistic and underlying motivation is clearly in order here — especially since he has created and stated what appear to be highly imaginative “illusions” concerning this relationship.

Although now belatedly crediting me in Chapter 4 for my pioneering cerebellar-vestibular(inner-ear)-based Dyslexia/ADD discoveries in a highly complimentary manner:

• Dore then erroneously claimed to have generously offered to provide me with ten free dyslexic centers so that I might successfully treat other dyslexics as I did his daughter Susie.
• And with an even greater misleading audacity, he then ingeniously stated that I refused his gracious offer because I was a scientific type fearful of commercial ventures — and thus he was sadly forced “within seconds…to go it alone” and thus generate countless millions for himself.

And by the time he completed this chapter, the illusion was created that the inner-ear-enhancing and highly effective side-effect-free medications and nutrients that Dore claimed to have saved his daughter Susie’s life in the beginning of Chapter 4 were suddenly considered by him too complex and difficult to comply with, and even dangerous by the chapter’s ending. And so Dore was driven by his stated over concern and altruism to pioneer the development of a new non-medical and “curable” exercise program for Susie and other dyslexics, one that he failed to mention I initially told him about 10 years ago and planned to use in a holistic treatment center, and that had been available for over 30 years at the time.

Before continuing, I would urge readers to consider my rule of opposites in order to better understand Wynford Dore, his self-acclaimed “altruistic” content within this chapter, and its underlying business and economically driven motivation.

As you will learn, Dore is a gifted and brilliant businessman, salesman and illusionist. But to the best of my knowledge, Dore did not acquire enormous wealth, and such related trophies as a yacht, plane, mansion, etc. as a result of deep-seated altruistic healing or scientific tendencies. Exceptions aside, in my opinion:

• To acquire great wealth, one must be driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and an overwhelming and often insatiable self-serving desire to obtain more and more money, control, power, etc., despite a host of moral and other roadblocks.
• To become a great healer and innovative medical scientist, one must be driven by an overwhelming altruistic desire to discover and share insights that will help alleviate or prevent illness and suffering, despite a host of obstacles that invariably arise and must be overcome along the way.

Clearly, these two basic instincts are distinct and appear to be initially incompatible in any one dedicated or driven individual. Each great endeavor requires a 24/7 commitment, leaving little or no time for the other. And although overlapping and even conversions may occur, primarily in later life, one instinct mandates taking while the other strives towards giving.

A match made in heaven? Or elsewhere?

As readers of Smart But Feeling Dumb and my other books and scientific papers know, I have devoted more than 35 years of my medical life towards understanding and holistically treating over 35,000 suffering dyslexics and a host of other overlapping but differently named disorders that I discovered to be of cerebellar-vestibular (CV) origin (i.e., ADD/ADHD, Dyspraxia, PPD, etc.), despite enormous obstacles and consequences. And my ultimate desire was to provide these “life saving therapeutic insights” to all at a convenient location and affordable cost.

Quite by chance, Wynford Dore arrived at my clinic. He claimed to have read Smart But Feeling Dumb in 1997 while flying home to the UK or to his Jersey tax-free haven from a Hong Kong business trip. Shortly thereafter, he brought his very dyslexic and suicidal daughter Susie to my New York office for help. After successfully treating her and then two of her UK friends later on, at his “generous” expense, Dore expressed a great interest in helping me spread my diagnostic/treatment methods via medical dyslexic (ADD/ADHD…) centers in the UK, and then possibly worldwide. But first he had to sell his fireproof paint company.

During our initial conversations, Dore impressed me with what appeared to be a genuine and overwhelming fatherly gratitude as well as what seemed to be a sincere desire to help countless other suffering dyslexics, utilizing his wealth and gifted business skills. Perfect! A match seemingly made in heaven? Was Dore real or merely an “altruistic” illusion created to mask hidden self-serving economic motives?

A year or so later, Dore sold his paint company and invited my staff and me, all expenses paid, to treat dyslexics in a UK school (Arnold Lodge) that he apparently just bought. Great! Events appeared to be moving in a direction I dreamed of — where dyslexic and related CV dysfunctioning patients worldwide could eventually be helped without their having to fly to New York, as was now the case. In retrospect, I couldn’t help but wonder: What led Dore to buy a school? Was it related to his desire to have dyslexic children tested and treated? Or did he need the school and/or children for other business ventures?

If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t?

During the next year, my staff and I successfully treated many dyslexics at Dore’s school. He and his daughter brought audiences to tears upon explaining the hope and help provided by my medical treatment utilizing inner-ear-enhancing medications and nutrients, which at the time they described as simple, safe, rapidly and amazingly effective. And Dore’s personal interest and involvement in my detailed diagnostic/treatment methods were astounding — unbelievable! Puzzling – since he was a businessman rather than a clinician or scientist? Indeed, Dore even became involved in my meetings with other interested professionals — whom he later befriended and often funded, possibly to achieve self-serving business goals, i.e., Professor Rod Nicolson, who later helped facilitate Dore’s ventures and even his book despite its highly misleading title, “Dyslexia — The Miracle Cure.”

All was not well in “paradise!”

“Paradise” was suddenly lost — and replaced by a harsh reality: Unexpectedly, I was informed in writing by a volunteer MD supervising my dyslexic UK patients at Arnold Lodge that Dore invited her to partner with him and open multiple clinics in the UK, showing her his business plan that excluded me. She rejected his offer for several reasons, two of which sounded like this: Who was going to medically diagnose and treat the dyslexic children without initially being trained by Dr. Levinson? Dore? And how could he now be trusted?

Speaking about trust, I had also just discovered that the so-called “reporter,” Ros Gower, that Dore hired and supervised to film a documentary concerning my diagnostic/treatment methods, scientific explanations in lay terms, and parent-patient interviews, had absolutely no connection to the BBC as Dore initially told me. Indeed, she was providing him with a teaching tape at the very same time that Dore was planning to open my clinics without me. And even worse, Ros and possibly Dore later attempted to derail a real BBC documentary about my research and significantly favorable treatment results, erroneously claiming exclusivity until I legally proved otherwise.

Soon afterwards, I also learned that Dore made very discreet plans to definitely partner with another local MD, Dr. Roy Rutherford, who initially told me he had never seen nor treated a dyslexic child. And that their first DDAT Center was close to completion, if not already functioning. Even worse, Dore attempted to hijack my Leamington Spa (UK) Dyslexic Parent Group as well as my patients within his Arnold Lodge School. Who was going to medically treat them? Dore or his untrained MD business partner? Or possibly Susie? — who I was told is now economically involved in their business.

To avoid what I considered a potential medical disaster in the making – with my name and life’s research at risk, I legally attempted to halt Dore’s now obvious plans and completely separate myself from his self-serving business endeavors. And as might be expected, Dore merely switched treatment directions and utilized my concepts and those of others, often alluding to them as his own.

And in a series of brilliant business moves, Dore ingeniously employed my UK Coordinator, Publicist, etc. and used my scientific and patient-based content to successfully charm and convince his “impartial” media interviewers to transform or shape his ensuing radio, print and TV content into what might be mistaken for “infomercials.” Moreover, he now claimed or alluded to having “cured” his daughter with his cerebellar-based sensory-motor techniques — stating they were safer and thus better than the inner-ear- enhancing medications and nutrients. Once again, the “illusory” Dore appeared altruistically driven to help others via his centers because of his daughter. Also, by initially omitting, perhaps inadvertently, that his cerebellar-vestibular concepts were mine and that his sensory-motor techniques were developed by Ayres, Belgau and other dedicated therapists 30 years earlier, an incredible illusion was created, one that initially drew suffering dyslexics and desperate parents to his DDAT (Dore UK) clinics for help [1].

In retrospect, all the abovementioned illusions appeared endowed by their creator for one and only one reason: To generate more and more sales and self-serving economic benefits. Does not the above content justify my position that if unchecked, real altruism and insatiable, instinctively driven business motives mix like oil and water? Hopefully readers will by now be better equipped to discern illusion from underlying reality – especially when utilizing my rule of opposites as a dissecting tool.

Are costly “Dyslexia cures” real — or merely miraculous or magical illusions?

In a recent interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's 4 Corners (aired 8/6/07) on my relationship and insights regarding Wynford Dore and his ever expanding centers, I recall stating after just completing Chapter 4 of his book: Why would I or anyone else refer patients to sensory-motor or physical exercise treatment centers controlled by a gifted paint salesman and businessman offering impossible or illusory “cures” when suffering and desperate children and adults could be better helped by dedicated and highly experienced professionals rendering individualized care at a fraction of the cost?

And although my discovery of CV (inner-ear) -enhancing medications and related therapies often result in dramatic improvements in the symptoms characterizing dyslexia, akin to insulin for the symptoms of diabetics, only magicians and sales illusionists can speak of dyslexic cures – and for obvious reasons: Desperate and even impoverished parents will pay anything to cure their children of the incurable. Once again, one must invoke the rule of opposites in order to obtain a glimpse of reality. In other words, why is there a sales-motivated need to claim impossible cures if dramatic and even moderate improvements in sufficient numbers were possible? Might the reported illusory cures and overall results be subject to major exaggerations upon careful scrutiny?

In fact, the findings of two recent independent studies (Payne et al, 2007, Rack et al, 2007) completely support my above reasoned assumptions [2]: They significantly challenge and refute DDAT’s claims that their exercise programme can improve children’s literacy skills and cure dyslexia. In addition, Rack et al are highly critical of a favorable DDAT treatment study by Reynolds and Nicolson (Dyslexia, 2007; 13: 78-96, as well as their prior 2003 results) claiming: 1) the study’s design is “flawed,” 2) “the statistics used…are inappropriate,” and 3) the reported DDAT improvements on the Dyslexia Screening Test can be “entirely due to test-retest effects.” Although these claims refuting DDAT’s therapeutic efficacy may not be completely definitive and thus subject to other follow-up insights, they do add a consistent and invaluable perspective towards elucidating and eventually solving The Dore Identity.

Although the above noted heated differences over scientific issues and studies are not uncommon, it is extremely rare for leading LD experts and editorial board members of a prestigious journal (i.e., Dyslexia) to resign and protest en masse. Clearly something was deemed highly improper – and resulted in an in-depth expose by The Sunday Times (November 26, 2006) entitled, “Scientists quit in dyslexia ‘cure’ row.” [3]. In short, Dore and his DDAT-related and sponsored research and researchers were subjected to accusations ranging from improper data gathering and monetary irregularities to conflicts of interest, and even hints of far worse. Is it possible that clever and successful business methods can significantly and “miraculously” influence or bias scientists and thus inadvertently shape their results?

In retrospect, the above content highlights one of many giant differences between a great scientist vs a very good one: A great researcher will instinctively avoid entangling and narcissistic alliances, if for no other reason than to circumvent the detracting influences biasing and thus distracting them from achieving their God-given goals. By contrast and analogy, only a truly great businessman is capable of significantly influencing and thus dissolving scientific “oil” in self-serving economic “water,” and feel perfectly righteous and even altruistic selling a “miracle cure” or dream for huge profits.

Summary

In my opinion, the business and monetary success of the DDAT (UK) and Dore Centers are due entirely to Dore’s genius. Whatever science they contain is derived from my research as well as the sensory-motor and related techniques developed by Ayers, Belgau, the Blythes, etc. And unless proven otherwise, anything else you may read or see is most likely illusion, no doubt assisted by an advertising company Dore claimed to own.

And in retrospect, one can only guess at what point Dore’s dyslexia-related business insights and need for illusions initially began: Was it on the plane from Hong Kong in 1997 when Dore’s brilliance may have recognized the economic potential within Smart But Feeling Dumb? Was it shortly before Dore’s daughter and friends were “altruistically” brought by him to the U.S.? Is that why Dore paid for them? Was this only an initial entrepreneurial investment? Or was it after they responded favorably to my treatment — thus initially validating my book’s content and economic value? Was it before inviting my staff and me to the UK, at his expense, in order to observe my detailed diagnostic/treatment methods and their efficacy on larger numbers of children?

And at what point did Dore create his secret business plan for developing my treatment centers that excluded me? Was it just after or way before an independent educational psychologist, Dr. Bonnie McMillan, provided Dore with objective data proving that my treatment results were “significant and remarkable in the 50 dyslexic children she tested”? Since Dore paid for this study in order to advance his (our?) business agenda, I was never informed as to its vital results until reading Chapter 4, despite my active participation and those of my patients. Does not this secrecy correlate more with self-serving economic taking and withholding than medical benevolence and giving or sharing? Finally, although I have met some sales geniuses who might have been capable of selling the Brooklyn Bridge, I know of only one who repeatedly did so.

Last but not least, I thought it worthwhile to quote Dore’s (Chapter 4) illusory clinic — offer to me and ask readers to retrospectively apply my rule of opposites to his content, especially after my having provided you with the vital background of our past relationship:

Solving The Dore Identity — Using the Rule of Opposites

The best way to understand people and their motivation is to let them talk and act long enough. By simply dissecting the above quoted sample derived from an overall and consistent “fantasy,” readers will be provided with a simple, clear and uniquely transparent solution to The Dore Identity:

• Since Dore never offered me any free clinics, it should be no “surprise” and certainly not “strange” that I never acceptedor refused his offer. Is not the opposite of what Dore states more likely true!?
• And if Dore attempted to hijack my patients, concepts, etc. as evidenced by his business plan that excluded me and his self-serving or hijacking actions, as witnessed by many, then did he not “exploit” my work to “make as much money as possible?” Isn’t that why he was ready in “seconds…to go it alone?” Once again, does not the rule of opposites apply?

Conclusion

Finally, I ask readers: In view of my life’s clinically-based Dyslexia/ADD research and dreams of helping countless millions, indeed the reason I first became involved with Dore as a known “commercial” success who also conveyed to me that he “had no need for money and [whose] motives were…genuine” does the above quoted content from Chapter 4 still appear realistic and altruistic? Or is it just merely another of many, many illusions that rapidly dissolve when exposed to the light of simple truth and reason?

And since there is a major instinctively-based and/or learned conflict between 24/7 altruistic giving and business taking, it is clearly impossible for both to simultaneously co-exist and succeed in any given individual for any given endeavor, i.e., dyslexia. As a result, the illusory identity of a great altruistic businessman appears oxymoronic.

[1] Dr. Rutherford was legally cited and rebuked by the UK Independent Television Commission “that the DDAT treatment claims are both revolutionary and a breakthrough were not sustainable.” The ITC ruling also stated, “The ‘cerebellar theory’ originated at least 30 years ago [not 10 years as Rutherford had implied] and exercise-based regime programmes have been available here and in the US prior to DDAT.”

[2] Payne, G. H. Miles, T.R. & Wheeler T.V. (2007). Does the DDAT programme provide a cure for dyslexia? Results from the Bangor Dyslexia Test. Dyslexia Review, Vol 19, No. 1, The Journal of The Dyslexia Guild. Results: There was no significant reduction in the number of dyslexia indicators in 11 children tested on relevant items from the Bangor Dyslexia Test before and after taking the DDAT/Dore programme. As a result “claims in the media that the DDAT/Dore programme provides a cure for dyslexia should be treated with caution.”
Rack, J.P. Snowling, M. J. Hume, C & Gibbs, S. (2007) No evidence that an exercise-based treatment programme (DDAT) has specific benefits for children with reading difficulties. Dyslexia: An International Journal of Research and Practice 13 (2) 97 — 104. Results: Rack, et al, “argue that the design of the study [by Reynolds and Nicolson (Dyslexia: An International Journal of Research & Practical, 2007) is flawed, the statistics used to analyze the data are inappropriate, and reiterate other issues raised by ourselves and others in this Journal in 2003. Current evidence provides no support for the claim that DDAT is effective in improving children’s literacy skills.”

[3] The Sunday Times, 27 November 2006. Scientists quit in dyslexia “cure.” To read or print this lengthy review: www.Sunday-times.co.UK/26 November 2006.