Minnesota Neuropsychology’s Dr. Liz Adams recently presented Understanding the Brain to Support Literacy, a webinar hosted by the International Dyslexia Association Upper Midwest Branch on September 15, 2026. Dr. Adams explained why no brain is born wired for reading, and why dyslexia is a built-in difference in the brain’s reading network. It is not a vision problem, nor is it a sign of low intelligence.
She walked through decades of research, from brain studies in the late 1970s to imaging that finds these differences in babies as young as 18 months, and she explained how dyslexia runs in families. She also shared practical guidance for parents and educators: how to talk with a child about a new diagnosis, why structured, evidence-based reading intervention works, which accommodations help, and why reading aloud at home should be “short, easy, and perfect.” The recording ends with a question-and-answer session.
