Dyslexia Duo Podcast Episode 89 - Dr. Elizabeth Norton

The Dyslexia Duo:  Early Identification, RAN, and Mental Health -  Dr. Elizabeth Norton on the Science and Policy of Dyslexia   The Dyslexia Duo hosts Melissa Dean and Aimee Rodenroth interview Dr. Elizabeth Norton, a Northwestern University associate professor who studies reading development, dyslexia, early identification, and brain-based factors that make reading difficult. Dr. Norton describes how her childhood love of reading, early curiosity about peers who struggled, college research, and teaching at Landmark School led her to focus on identifying precursors of reading difficulties and improving early intervention. She defines dyslexia as an unexpected difficulty learning to read and discusses the newer IDA definition as more multifactorial, including links between language and reading, psychological well-being, and the importance of early identification. The conversation covers challenges translating research into policy (e.g., uneven screening guidance), limits of improving rapid automatized naming (RAN) and working memory, intervention goals and trade-offs, co-occurrence with ADHD, possible anxiety/depression risk, effects of prematurity, and large-scale longitudinal research including HBCD.   00:42 Meet Elizabeth Norton 02:06 Why Dr. Norton Studies Reading 07:16 Defining Dyslexia Today 09:45 New IDA Definition Highlights 12:22 Policy and Screening Gaps 16:38 What Happens After Screening 23:30 RAN and Automaticity Explained 27:41 When Progress Plateaus 36:14 Dyslexia and Mental Health 43:32 Micro Triggers and Stress 45:05 Prematurity and Brain Setup 50:41 Language in Utero Signals 53:56 Responding to Risk Flags 56:23 Research Surprises and Complexity 59:56 Early Intervention Reality Check 01:03:45 Hope and Next Tools 01:06:49 Naturalistic EEG and HBCD Study 01:16:08 Lightning Round and Farewell