Dyslexia can be overcome with early detection

Tom Cruise, Pablo Picasso, Albert Einstein rose above it

Davis King's parents caught his dyslexia early and today he attends a special school and special classes.

(CNN) -- Davis King is like many other kids. He loves football, being in the kitchen and avoiding books. It's not that Davis dislikes reading: He has dyslexia, one of the most common learning disabilities today.

"It's a neurological disorder that affects the way a student's brain processes info," according to Dr. Lisa Guy of the Marcus Institute in Atlanta. "So it could have an impact on the way a student hears information, the way they express themselves orally. It may have an impact on the way they read, write or do math problems."

Davis' mom, Jan, first suspected something might be wrong when Davis was 3 or 4 years old. He wasn't rhyming like other kids.

"You sing the nursery rhymes with them, you sing the church songs with them and those things didn't come easily to Davis," she says.

Almost 10 percent of adults and children have learning disabilities. It could be even more as many never get tested. Most, as with Davis, still have above-average intelligence.

Many have had extraordinary success such as Tom Cruise, Pablo Picasso and even Albert Einstein.

"So it's not the case that they are dumb. They really have good thinking and reasoning skills. They have difficulties in a particular area," says Guy.

Dyslexia and other learning disabilities often go undetected. But there are early warning signs. Children with learning disabilities often:

"You see a letter on a page and you reach out and get that letter and you put it in your brain and you turn it around and you take it out and you put it back down on the page and then instead of mountain, an M, it's a W," Jan says. She said that's the way Davis has described the problem to her.

EXTRA INFORMATION Q&A with a learning disabilities expert

The good news is that learning disabilities are treatable and can be pinpointed through testing. It worked for Davis. A professional evaluated him and "thought testing would be a good idea and he was 6 and we were very lucky." says Jan.

Lucky, because the Kings caught it early. Today, Davis attends a special school and special classes.

"Cooking overall is my favorite thing," says Davis. Whether it be painter, actor, scientist or chef, Davis is well on his way to being whatever he wants.