Some common questions about Dore...
The Dore programme is effective for both adults and children. Unfortunately we cannot help children under the age of 7 as we typically find that this age group struggles with programme compliance. We have helped people up to the age of 82 to date with excellent results. Also it is not necessary to have been diagnosed with a specific problem in order to benefit from the programme.
Although there is some variation in the symptoms caused by each difficulty, we find these conditions often coexist; so usually respond very well to the exercise programme with 90% of clients showing significant improvements.
A practioner consultation and examination are part of the first visit. On follow up visits, Dore specialists monitor and analyse the progress of each client, and prescribe their next set of individualised exercises.
Our staff have varied backgrounds such as physiotherapists, GP's, occupational therapists and teachers. All specialists are fully trained through a formal training programme, complete with examinatin and certification.
Although response time to the programme varies amongst clients due to individuality, the programme typically lasts about 12 - 18 months. Exercises must be performed twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening taking approximately ten minutes per session.
No - they are all specifically tailored according to each individual's results and progress. Cerebellar function is tested every 6 weeks and appropriate exercises are automatically prescribed accordingly.
Yes the Dore method is completely safe, there are no drugs used and the tests are neither invasive nor uncomfortable. There are no specific long-term effects or dangers associated with the programme. Clients can experience slight, brief dizzy feelings during specific exercises for balance stimulation. Some clients may also experience short-term mood changes. These are perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.
More than 30,000 clients have started the Dore Programme since 2000. The results to date of both anecdotal and research data, reflect a very high success rate as long as full programme compliance is maintained.
Independent research includes studies conducted by Exeter University and Sheffield University as well as several education authorities. Each study shows remarkable progress in reading, comprehension, writing, self esteem, social skills, coordination and attention among people who completed the programme. Dore has the largest database for children and adults in the world and has collected data on many thousands of clients using Dore.
Read more about the research into Dore
Dore is breaking new ground. It’s only in recent years that the role of the cerebellum in the development of the skills necessary for learning has been understood. Dore is one of the first organisations to focus on understanding this knowledge, so that new treatments can be developed and delivered to all those who need it.
The Dore programme provides a physiological solution to what we believe is a neurological problem. Most other approaches to treating learning difficulties have been educational solutions developed by educationalists mainly involving structured teaching. Clearly, when something that is so innovative and has such a profound impact emerges, it represents a challenge to existing researchers and organisations.
We are a relatively new organisation and building up a body of research takes time. However, since we started, we have invested many million in research and we continue to be involved in further independent studies to prove the effectiveness of the programme.
The studies have been very positive indeed, and support the testimony of the thousands of people who report lasting benefits from the Dore programme.
In the UK, there have been studies by both Exeter and Sheffield Universities, and five local education authorities. Two peer-reviewed papers have been published, and there are more results in the pipeline.
Read more about the research into Dore
The Dore programme is a physiological treatment specifically tailored to the needs of each individual client. To fully develop the potential of a client requires a number of face-to-face consultations and assessments by highly trained specialists using the latest neurophysiological testing equipment. The test alone would cost several thousand pounds in private fees. Dore has managed to significantly reduce the costs for its clients.
The cost of the programme covers:
- a series of initial specialised screening tests carried out at a Dore treatment centre using specially designed equipment to assess cerebellar function – the likely root cause of many learning difficulties
- the creation of an individually-tailored programme of exercises designed to treat the cause of learning difficulties by developing the cerebellum – the skills centre of the brain
- follow-up, face-to-face assessments at a Dore treatment centre every six weeks for a year, during which the programme is individually updated depending on the client’s progress.
Our research shows that the Dore programme has lasting effects – so the cost should be a one-off.
We are committed to persuade the government that the programme should be in every school so that every child that could benefit will do so.
If you are a head or school interested in the programme, please contact us
Read about Dore studies carried out in schools.
A large amount of research needs to be carried out on any treatment before it is made available on the NHS. We hope that, in the future, this will be the case with Dore, so that everyone who needs it will have access to the programme.
We have achieved positive results for hundreds of people, often when nothing else has helped. We have the endorsement of sporting stars such as Kenny Logan and Scott Quinnell, and the Wasps Rugby Union team are currently benefiting from the Dore Sport programme.
The Dore organisation is built on Wynford Dore’s determination to help his daughter Susie, and his vision of enabling everyone who needs it to benefit from the programme. Everyone who works closely with the Dore team knows the sincerity and passion that drives the organisation.
The staff at Dore work tirelessly to constantly improve the programme and to help everyone who comes through our doors to achieve their potential. They have a real insight into the problems faced by many clients, and may have even experienced those problems themselves – many parents who have come to us for help for their children have been so impressed by the Dore programme that they have stayed on to work for us.
The Dore programme isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to learning difficulties. Rather, it’s a bespoke programme of exercises tailored for each individual on the basis of bespoke neurological tests, and adjusted according to that person’s progress. Therefore, it isn’t suitable for a whole class approach.
As long as full complience is maintained throughout the programme you get your money back. However, it is extremely unusual for the programme not to work if it’s completed in the recommended way.
While results will vary from person to person, many Dore clients report that they no longer suffer from many or most of the symptoms they once experienced. Some symptoms are completely eliminated. Research also indicates that clients continue to improve even after they have completed the programme. Students regularly report a higher level of achievement in school, and adults experience better work performance, attention focus, organisational skills and confidence. Most clients also experience significant motor skill improvements, including writing, sports, balance and coordination.
The cerebellum is a highly complex area of the nervous system and is sometimes referred to as the 'little brain'. In fact it contains the same number of nerve cells as the thinking brain and is structurally more complex. With its numerous connections to the cerebral cortex (thinking brain), the cerebellum appears to be strongly associated with integrating information, including visual and auditory information and links to the major language areas of the brain. Poor development or early damage to the cerebellum is shown to impair development of language and decoding skills necessary for the acquisition of reading and writing skills, but does not affect intelligence levels. Because dyslexia usually exists within the context of a normal or above normal IQ, the difference between skill level and intelligence helps identify the disorder.
The typical symptoms of dyspraxia with low muscle tone, poor development of motor skills, poor balance and posture are all classical symptoms of poor cerebellar function. Recent studies have shown that dyspraxic children show poor performance on the typical cerebellar neurological tests used at Dore. At Dore we also find that many children diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD have evidence of poor development of their motor skills. There is a need for a programme to improve cerebellar function rather than just poor motor skills.
Recent research has shown that the cerebellum is underdeveloped in ADHD. There is also evidence that the connections between the cerebellum and the attention parts of the brain are poorly developed. In fact the underdeveloped areas of the cerebellum appear to be in the older areas of the cerebellum where much sensory information from the balance system is situated. This is why we velieve our exercises using sensory and balnce stimulations have such an impact on attention and behaviour.
Autism and Aspergers Syndrome are learning disabilities involving significant socail and communication problems. There is also often the sort of learning difficulties seen commmonly in the population (e.g. ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia) which coexist with these conditions. Autism severity can vary from high functioning levels with only minor difficulties to severe deficits with lack of speech and severe bhavioural problems.
Much of the research into autism and more recently Asperger's suggests that there are significant underlying structural and functional problems with the cerebellum. Damage to certain areas of the cerebellum mimics very closely the symptoms of autism where there are attention, speech and communication difficulties resulting. The cerebellum is closely linked to the area of the brain (the limbic system) which controls emotions, emotional development and behaviour.
By testing cerebellar function, Dore has found that those affected by learning disorders show very poor performance of skills requiring the continuous involvement of the cerebellum, a condition we call Cerebellar Development Delay (CDD). Exercises incorporated in the Dore programme are simple to perform, but complex in their effect on the cerebellum. They stimulate the cerebellum to functin more rapidly, and to enable the development of previously poor motor, attention and cognitive skills. The exercis programme directly impacts motor skills while congnative skill slowly improve therough the exercises' stimulatory effects.