The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast 1KHO 703: If Reading is Hard, Everything is Hard | Dr. Janissa Jackson, Learning Rx
Feb 7, 2026
Dr. Janissa Jackson, a clinical psychologist and LearningRx center director who evaluates and treats cognitive learning challenges. She explains why reading struggles can make everything feel harder. Short-term memory, processing speed, and intensive brain-training are highlighted. Conversations also touch on attention declines, concussion recovery, adult ADHD, and her grounding ranch life.
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Target Cognitive Skills, Not Just Symptoms
- If a child struggles academically, address underlying cognitive skills like processing speed and working memory, not only the surface skill.
- Seek programs that use neuroplasticity to strengthen those cognitive foundations so learning 'sticks.'
Reading Problems Ripple Through Learning
- "If reading is hard, everything is hard" captures how poor reading blocks all learning and damages confidence.
- Building memory and processing alongside reading boosts rapid, sustained gains.
Prefer Intensive Programs Over Endless Interventions
- Avoid long, narrow interventions that only repeat one skill for years without building supporting cognition.
- Choose intensive, time-limited programs that aim to 'get them in, get them out' and restore learning identity.
