Tom Cruise learns to read!

No.

you can say that again, patio!

So is dyslexia some kind of Scientology racket? Hmmm...they are up to crazier schemes than I originally thought...

Sure there are - they're called Special Education teachers, and they don't demand a damn thing from you. Y'all need to share some of what you're smokin'.

I'd like to know how Cruise was diagnosed with dyslexia- by the scientologists?

He may have had a serious attentional problem. From what I know of scientology, it works with a sort of self hypnosis mind control thing. Something like this could possibly help an attentional problem; could it help "dyslexia" (which is a blaket term for many styles of learning disabilities)-- I doubt it.

I have personal experience with learning disabilities although I'm not an expert and have read a little about scientology -- only for morbid curiosity folks! So don't jump to any conclusions!

Yes, you are correct. They are wonderful. I know many. And my child has been taught by many. I thank them every day. The problem is, public schools in the U>S> are over crowded and under funded and there aren't enough of them. So if you can afford it you must reach out for extra help elsewhere. If you can't afford it you are screwed. Same old, same old.

Unfortunately, some people reach out to Scientology and other snake oil salesmen for help.

It sounded a bit like ADD, more than dyslexia, but I am no expert. I just think he is foolish to buy into a crackpot religion like Scientology.

I am dyslexic in the classic sense of mixing letters within words, words within or between lines as i read. The patient persistence of my grandfather helped me to overcome it. He taught me to read before i was four years of age, and stayed with the task until he had a stroke when i was aged nine. I still have the same visual perception problems, but my grandfather had taught me to look for context, and to re-read until it "made sense." I doubt that he had ever heard of the word, but he knew how to deal with children, and his gentle, loving patience made all of the difficulties moot--he was "there for me."

You know, Cav, the Scientologists are big in Hollywood. Those who admire Phineas Taylor Barnum claim he never said it, but it still makes a good quote:

There's a sucker born every minute, and two born to take advantage of him.

I agree. I've heard over and over that Cruise had overcome his dyslexia, but I really would like to know who diagnosed him.

By the way, learning disabilities cannot be "cured". The student learns ways to get around it and practical ways to cope. They have a different way of learning and must be taught differently from the norm. Hence the P/C term "Learning Differences".

Anyway, the notion that Scientology cured Cruise is bogus right there.

Setana, I missed you post on your dyslexia. But it explains the point I was trying to make above.

Exactly, Lil' Pepper--i'm still dyslexic, but i was taught to cope with it more than 40 years ago . . .

I share a birthday with PT Barnum.

He's always popping out of the box and taking my cake.

Does he eat it, too?

Of course not. He's dead.

From what I've gleaned about the Scientologists being big in Hollywood, is that it appears a lot of their teachings are concerned with allowing one to feel no responsibility to others, ie to feel okay about leading a privileged life, ie $25Mil per movie or some sech ... when it is clear (to use one of their terms :wink: ) the money they make is obscene (IMHO); and then they hand over the big bucks directly to the Church of Scientology to assuage any residual guilt :wink: !!

What i've read is that most of their contributions are voluntary, the Sci guys don't try to milk them for cash, because they're using the name recognition to sign up the suckers, whom they do indeed fleece, in a big way . . .

Yes, Setanta, but to borrow another phrase: it depends on the meaning of voluntary :wink: !