di: Miracle cure for dyslexia?

[Kerry Hempenstall]

A recent paper claims to have found that the true cause of dyslexia is
actually visual not deficits in phonology, vocabulary, syntax, and other
components of spoken language. Yes, really. I know – we’ve heard this claim
in the past. I looked at some of the research on this topic at
https://www.nifdi.org/resources/news/hempenstall-blog/414-keeping-an-eye-on-reading-is-difficulty-with-reading-a-visual-problem

This new study (*Left–right asymmetry of the Maxwell spot centroids in
adults without and with dyslexia*) has received a deal of breathless media
reporting. However, a scathing review in a post entitled *Blue Cell
Dyslexia* by literacy research expert Mark Seidenberg (see at
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=35144&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)
casts serious doubt about the worth of the study. It documents numerous
flaws that he argues should have led to the paper’s exclusion from
publication in a serious journal. For example, the confusing of correlation
with causation. See the two papers for yourself. The paper in question is:

Le Floch, A., & Ropars, G. (2017). Left–right asymmetry of the Maxwell spot
centroids in adults without and with dyslexia. *Proc. R. Soc. B.,
284*(20171380).
1-10. Retrieved from
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/284/1865/20171380


-- 
Regards,

Kerry


Dr Kerry Hempenstall
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