Harold Levinson

Levinson has pursued alternative theories and treatments for dyslexia since the 1960s.{{cite news |url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/archive/2001/03/26/York+Archive/7945288.Words_of_wisdom/ |title=Words of Wisdom |date=March 16, 2001 |newspaper=The Press |accessdate=December 12, 2012}} In 1973 he and Jan Frank published an article in the Journal of Child Psychiatry suggesting dyslexia was caused by a faulty connection between the cerebellum and the other parts of the brain, instead of the cerebrum.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/24/nyregion/doctor-fights-for-dyslexia-theory.html |title=DOCTOR FIGHTS FOR DYSLEXIA THEORY |date=November 24, 1985 |accessdate=December 12, 2012 |newspaper=New York Times |author=Barbara Klaus}}

By 1974 Levinson's cerebellar and related inner-ear theory that dyslexia has been mentioned in the popular press.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BnIjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FWQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1239,3240659 |author=Jane Brody |title=Faulty link believed cause of dyslexia |date=August 9, 1974 |accessdate=December 12, 2012 |newspaper=The Leader-Post}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zvtZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uUoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3927,2104188|title=New Idea on Dyslexia Told By Psychiatrist|author=Brian Sullivan|date=January 23, 1978|accessdate=December 12, 2012|publisher=Waycross Journal-Herald}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8nEsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tvoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3311,4290708|title=New York Psychiatrist Report New Findings On Cause of Dyslexia|date=January 17, 1978|accessdate=December 12, 2012|newspaper=Lakeland Ledger}} His cerebellar-vestibular theory led him to treating children with dyslexia as an inner ear problem, using anti-motion sickness medication. He used the same over-the-counter medication to treat the associated attention deficit, hyperactivity, impaired concentration and distractibility.{{cite news |url=http://www.wgntv.com/news/medicalwatch/wgntv-adhd-inner-ear-oct23,0,229145.story |title=ADD & Dyslexia: Inner Ear Disorder |publisher=WGN |author=Dina Bair |accessdate=December 12, 2012 |date=2012}} He considers that his findings suggested that cerebellar problems cause a scrambling of information, which secondarily confuse higher brain processors.{{cite news |title=Psychiatrists find clue to unscrambling dyslexia |publisher=Sunday Sun Times |date=February 5, 1978 |author=Brian Sullivan}}

Levinson appeared on television to discuss his treatment in the late 1970s and early 1980s.{{cite news |title=Television schedule: Donahue |accessdate=December 12, 2012 |date=December 3, 1984 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a-kLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-FkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6144,392221 |newspaper=The Evening Independent}} In 1985, he observed that 750 out of 1000 dyslexia patients also had problems with balance and coordination.{{cite news |title=Doctor helps dyslexia victims |page=L6 |newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=January 13, 1985}} By 1986 Levinson had treated more than 8,000 patients with dyslexia, and reported a success rate of between 75% and 80%.{{cite news |title=Dyslexia Stems From Inner Ear Disturbance, Has Psychiatric Component, Researcher Postulates |author=Joan O'Connor |date=March 21, 1986 |publisher=Newspaper of the American Psychiatric Association}} He had also studied more than 20,000 patients in total. One of the additional psychological problems Levinson determined was associated with the same brain disorder is the rise of adult phobias.{{cite news |title=Doctor links dyslexia, adult phobias |date=June 14, 1988 |author=Ron Boyd |publisher=Dallas Times Herald}} Levinson's observations led him to believe that up to 90% of people who have phobias also have cerebellar and inner-ear malfunctions, leading to patient's belief the fear is rational. He published a book entitled Phobia Free in which his findings were outlined.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Jc9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vwYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6372,3867771 |title=University to begin study of young children |accessdate=April 26, 2013 |date=June 20, 1989 |newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner}}

Levinson was interviewed on The Phil Donahue Show in the early 1980s,{{cite magazine |url=http://www.tvguide.com/detail/tv-show.aspx?tvobjectid=203758&more=ucepisodelist&episodeid=737157 |title=The Phil Donahue Show: Guests include psychiatrist Harold Levinson - "A Solution to the Riddle Dyslexia" - and dyslexia victim Bruce Jenner |magazine=TV Guide |accessdate=January 22, 2013}} in addition to many other network shows like Lifestyles with Regis Philbin, and The Today Show, The Morning Show.{{cite web |url=http://www.dyslexiaonline.com/media/cv.html |title=Levinson bio |accessdate=January 22, 2013}} Levinson used to be a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at New York University Medical Center.{{cite web |url=http://www.dyslexiaonline.com/bio.html |title=Harold Levinson: biography |accessdate=December 12, 2012}} Levinson became the director of the Medical Dyslexic and Attention Deficit Disorder Treatment Centre on Long Island.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/jul/16/schools.uk |title=Balancing Act |accessdate=December 12, 2012 |date=July 16, 2002 |author=Phil Revell |newspaper=The Guardian}} He is now the Clinical and Research Director of the Levinson Medical Center for Learning Disabilities, which has had locations in New York, England, and Hong Kong.{{cite web |url=http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadershop/142210205X.html#author |title=Harry Levinson on the Psychology of Leadership |accessdate=December 12, 2012}}

In the 1970s Levinson also developed instruments called the 3-D Optical, Auditory and Tactile Scanners, used to gather visual, auditory- phonetic and touch sensory data related to the dyslexic condition. The scanners were used by Levinson to screen and diagnose children and adults for dyslexia.{{cite news |page=8 |title=New dyslexia theory challenges old concepts |publisher=Los Angeles Metro News Herald |date=November 15, 1984 |author=Richard Tuber}}

Levinson has published his research in academic journals including Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, Perceptual and Motor Skills{{cite news |publisher=Perceptual and Motor Skills |title=ABNORMAL OPTOKINETIC AND PERCEPTUAL SPAN PARAMETERS IN CEREBELLAR-VESTIBULAR DYSFUNCTION AND RELATED ANXIETY DISORDERS |date=1989 |author=Harold Levinson}} and Academic Therapy.{{cite news |title=Seasickness Mechanisms and Medications in Dysmetric Dyslexia and Dyspraxia |author=Jan Frank and Harold Levinson |date=1976–77 |publisher=Academic Therapy}} In 1980 Levinson published the book Dyslexia - a Solution to the Riddle, expanding upon his theories on dyslexia, as well as related ADHD and phobias. In 1984 he then published the book Smart But Feeling Dumb, talking further about the experience of children with these disabilities. In 1991 Levinson published the book The Upside-Down Kids, which followed a hypothetical classroom containing eight children with different learning disabilities.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BnIjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FWQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1239,3240659 |author=Gretchen Tripp DeLucia |title=Four instructive volumes about education of children |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |date=November 5, 2011 |accessdate=December 12, 2012}} His book Smart But Feeling Dumb was released in a revised second edition format in 2008.{{cite news |url=http://ourtribune.com/article.php?id=6081 |title=New book shatters myths about Dyslexia |date=December 15, 2008 |accessdate=December 12, 2012 |author=Luisa Hart |newspaper=The Tribune}}

Other books by Levinson include Phobia Free (1986), Total Concentration (1990), Turning Around — The Upside Down Kids (1992), A Scientific Watergate — Dyslexia (1994), and the lead chapter in The All in One Guide to ADD and Hyperactivity (2001).{{cite web |url=http://www.dyslexiaonline.com/media/books.html |title=Books by Dr. Levinson |accessdate=December 12, 2012}} Levinson is also the author of the Psychology Today blog Freud's Missing Links.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/50130 |magazine=Psychology Today |author=Harold Levinson |accessdate=December 12, 2012 |title=Experts: Harold N. Levinson, M.D.}} Subjects of his blog postings have included cerebellar theory, childhood bullying, and fraudulent science.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freuds-missing-links |title=Freud's Missing Links blog |author=Harold Levinson |magazine=Psychology Today |accessdate=December 12, 2012}}

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• [http://www.dyslexiaonline.com/ Levinson Medical Center for Learning Disabilities]
• [http://dyslexiaonline.com/documents/papers/ddd_study.pdf Original 1973 paper by Levinson and Frank]

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Category:American psychiatrists

Category:Dyslexia researchers

Category:Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder researchers

Category:American medical writers

Category:American male non-fiction writers

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)