Research Proves Dyslexia Is Not Caused by Vision Dysfunctions

I recently read an interesting study that was released indicating something every parent of a struggling reader should know.

In many cases, beyond the primarily observed reading deficits, individuals with dyslexia often also exhibit subtle weaknesses in processing visual stimuli. And unfortunately, this often leads parents to spending thousands of dollars on vision therapy as an intended solution for their child’s reading struggles.

Georgetown University’s Medical Center just posted a news release, “Brain Imaging Study Eliminates Differences in Visual function as a Cause of Dyslexia,” announcing that research confirmed dyslexia is not caused by vision dysfunctions.

The study confirmed that “intensive tutoring of phonological and orthographic skills” is what helps dyslexics. Of course, this is the type of treatment Lexercise provides.

“Early identification and treatment of dyslexia should not revolve around these deficits in visual processing,” says Olumide Olulade, PhD, the study’s lead author and post-doctoral fellow at GUMC. “While our study showed that there is a strong correlation between people’s reading ability and brain activity in the visual system, it does not mean that training the visual system will result in better reading. We think it is the other way around. Reading is a culturally imposed skill, and neuroscience research has shown that its acquisition results in a range of anatomical and functional changes in the brain.”

The Georgetown University’s Medical Center explains why training focused on language processing and language structure works best for dyslexics and why the most effective practitioners have a thorough knowledge of language structure.

If you are a practitioner interested in online professional development courses covering language structure and intervention approaches you can learn more here.

If you suspect your child has a learning disability, including dyslexia, you can take one of our free learning disability tests here.