- My next guests
are 11 year old Maverick and his mom Lisa.
Now from kindergarten through third grade
Maverick had a problem reading.
Lisa says it was really tough and frustrating for her son
and also for her as a parent.
Then finally a diagnosis
and eventually a groundbreaking solution
that changed Maverick's world forever.
Take a look.
- Maverick was a very easy going child.
When he started school,
his reading and writing was not where it should be
for a kindergarten level.
- When they asked me to read in class,
I wasn't fast like the other kids.
I would feel embarrassed.
- He was made fun of.
Seeing Maverick struggling really made me feel helpless.
- [Maverick] I have dyslexia.
- Dyslexia is when he sees words on a page,
he sees a whole bunch of jumbled letters.
Reading was something he had to do,
but he didn't want to.
(dramatic music)
- Smart reading.
Find despite.
- [Robotic Voice] Despite his many successes,
Vivaldi died in poverty.
- The OrCam was a game changer for us.
I've never seen him happy to read before.
I had just tears of joy streaming down my face.
- When I use the OrCam Read Device,
it helps me to pronounce the words right when I'm reading
and it can help me read faster.
- The great thing about Maverick
is that he always does his best and he never gives up.
- Well, joining us virtually are Maverick and his mom, Lisa.
Thank you both for being here.
Lisa, tell me what it was really like
before you got Maverick's diagnosis.
- Hi, Dr. Phil.
Well, it was really hard to watch Maverick
struggling to learn to read when he was around six.
Then around nine,
we found out that he had dyslexia
which was the reason that he wasn't excelling in class.
- Maverick, what was it like for you in school
when you were trying to read in class?
- It was really hard for me
to catch up with the rest of the class.
- Yeah.
So Lisa, when schools shut down
because of the pandemic,
how did Maverick handle the online classes?
- Well, Dr. Phil, he needs one-on-one teaching.
He lost all that.
But back in December, we got his OrCam Read device
and that radically changed his reading and comprehension.
So now he is on grade level with the rest of his classmates.
(audience applauding)
- Well, people know 'cause I've talked about OrCam before
that I think this is an absolutely revolutionary device.
And Maverick, we saw you using OrCam Read.
So how has it helped you?
- Well OrCam has helped me to understand what I am reading.
- And can you show us how it works?
- Sure.
This is part of my homework.
All you have to do is just click here and read.
(clicking)
- [Robotic Voice] In Russia 1672 to 1725,
Peter the Great was Czar.
- Joining us is Dr. Raymond Heipp,
an expert in general and special needs education
from School Health Corporation.
He's also a volunteer spokesperson for OrCam Read.
Tell us about this new OrCam device and how it works.
- Hi, Dr. Phil.
The OrCam Read is a truly amazing handheld reader.
It enables people with reading challenges like dyslexia
to read independently
and to have more competence in school and life.
- Well, you know, it's amazing.
Maverick made the device look so easy to use.
Is it really that simple?
- Absolutely.
You simply point and click
or use voice commands
to choose exactly where to start.
OrCam Read is the only assistive device
that reads a full page of printed text or a digital screen
and not just one sentence at a time.
And OrCam Read doesn't need an internet connection.
It can be used anywhere at any time.
So a student could even take a test by themselves.
- Wow, I mean it sounds like it's great for students
but does it help people outside the school setting as well?
- Definitely.
People with low vision or reading fatigue
can be self-reliant with it.
- Yeah.
So Maverick, what's the best part
about using OrCam Read for you?
- I love it because I can grab any of the books I want
and I can even grab the books
from my sister's shelf and read them.
- Obviously I'm a fan of this.
I've been fascinated by it from the beginning.
If you or someone you know has difficulty reading,
you've got to check out this OrCam Read.
For my viewers, there's a special Dr. Phil
$250 promotion available for the next seven days.
Just go to orcam.com
and they'll give you all the details right there.
And again, that special promotion is a limited time offer.
So check it out today
'cause I really want you to have this.
I want to thank all of my guests today.
A special thanks to Maverick, his mom, Lisa
and Dr. Raymond Heipp,
thank you so much for joining us
and talking about this groundbreaking thing.