Dyslexia is not a neurological disorder or even an impairment, but rather a concession for having cognitive strengths in exploration, big-picture thinking, creativity, and problem-solving that have contributed to human survival amid changing environments.
This insight comes from a new study published in Frontiers in Psychology that finds an association between the learning difference and “an explorative bias.”
—Additude Magazine, on the recent paper by Taylor and Westergaard
Cambridge scholars Helen Taylor and Martin David Vestergaard are shaking up the world with their article, Developmental Dyslexia: Disorder or Specialization in Exploration? In just a week, the article already had more views that 98% of all Frontiers articles.
I’ve begun to a do a deep dive in our Premium magazines, but one of the reasons this comprehensive analysis is so satisfying is that it goes both deep and wide in dyslexia literature – something that too many researchers and clinical experts haven’t been able to do. It also puts forth a compelling theory that dyslexia has an essential importance to humankind because dyslexic people have exploratory strengths that can help our species adapt to changing conditions and find ways to thrive.
From the paper:
“Developmental dyslexia is defined as “a disorder in children who, despite conventional classroom experience, fail to attain the language skills of reading, writing and spelling commensurate with their intellectual abilities” (World Federation of Neurology, 1968)… this long-standing deficit-centric view provides an incomplete picture…Nearly forty years ago, Norman Geschwind noted an increasing number of studies suggesting that those with Developmental
Dyslexia have superior talents in certain non-verbal skills that relate to art, architecture, engineering, and athletics. He was first to highlight a likely evolutionary basis for the differences observed…”
After an exhaustive broad and deep analytical review of diverse scholarly literature, the authors come to these conclusions:
“The explorative bias for people with Developmental Dyslexia can be seen at multiple levels of analysis. Proposed strengths cluster around explorative behaviors such as big-picture, long-term thinking, and inventiveness.”
If you are academically-inclined, do read this paper for its outstanding and compelling analysis of the data regarding dyslexia.
A wide-spread problem in the field of dyslexia is the existence of silo-ed expertise. Reading specialists may not study and deeply understand dyslexia from anything other than a reading perspective (including writing, memory, mathematics, foreign languages learning, etc.), and scientists who conduct basic scientific research may be removed from dyslexia from educational or clinical perspectives – certain over the course of the life span.
But having both wide and deep knowledge of dyslexia is just what this field and this community needs!
To date, we’ve often found the people who understand dyslexia the best have had a personal connection to dyslexia themselves, and then received additional training in neuroscience, psychology, education or understand more deeply and help others.
Our hope is that academia will look more deeply into the implications of this work so that it can become the foundation for a better education for all dyslexic students in K-12 and higher education.
As an expert in the field of dyslexia and related cognitive differences, I can confidently affirm that the recent study by Cambridge scholars Helen Taylor and Martin David Vestergaard is a groundbreaking contribution to our understanding of dyslexia. This research challenges the traditional view that dyslexia is a neurological disorder or impairment, presenting a paradigm shift that views dyslexia as a specialization in exploration rather than a deficit.
The study, titled "Developmental Dyslexia: Disorder or Specialization in Exploration?" and published in Frontiers in Psychology, delves into a comprehensive analysis of dyslexia literature, going both deep and wide. The authors challenge the long-standing deficit-centric perspective and propose that dyslexic individuals possess cognitive strengths that contribute to exploration, big-picture thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.
The evidence supporting this shift in perspective comes from a thorough examination of scholarly literature, including a review of studies from almost forty years ago by Norman Geschwind. Geschwind observed that individuals with developmental dyslexia demonstrated superior talents in non-verbal skills related to art, architecture, engineering, and athletics, hinting at a potential evolutionary basis for these differences.
The key finding of the study is the identification of an "explorative bias" associated with developmental dyslexia. This bias manifests at multiple levels of analysis, with strengths clustering around behaviors such as big-picture thinking, long-term planning, and inventiveness. The authors argue that dyslexic individuals play a crucial role in helping our species adapt to changing conditions and thrive.
The article highlights the limitations of existing silo-ed expertise in the field of dyslexia, emphasizing the need for a more integrated and multidisciplinary approach. Reading specialists and scientists, often confined to specific perspectives, must broaden their understanding to include various facets such as writing, memory, mathematics, and foreign language learning.
The call to action extends to academia, urging deeper exploration of the implications of this research. The hope is that the findings become the foundation for an improved education system for dyslexic students in both K-12 and higher education. This holistic approach, combining personal connections to dyslexia with training in neuroscience, psychology, and education, is seen as essential for a comprehensive understanding and effective support for individuals with dyslexia.
