Myth-Busting Common Dyslexia Cure Claims

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March 2018

 

One of IDA’s goals is to provide parents of children with dyslexia and adults who have dyslexia with information about evidence-based best practices that can help everyone learn to read. There are still some unknowns about the science behind dyslexia. However, there is also much that is known. The simplest solutions are often too simple, and are seldom—if ever—effective. So while the dyslexia community works hard, together, to help everyone learn to read, be wary of common and persistent myths.

IDA has provided some myth-busting reading below. These articles can serve as a starting place for your own research as you work to understand dyslexia and what is known and what needs further examination in research studies.

  1. Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Vision from the American Academy of Pediatrics Joint Technical Report (Pediatrics, March 2011, Vol. 127, Issue 3)
  2. Vision Efficiency Interventions and Reading Disability by Jack M. Fletcher and Debra Currie (Scroll to the bottom of the linked page for Controversial Therapies in Dyslexia: IDA Winter Perspectives, 2011, Vol. 37)
  3. Visual System Differences in Dyslexia Do Not Cause Reading Problems by Carolyn D. Cowen (IDA Examiner, July 2013)
  4. False Claims Mislead about Dyslexia Treatment by Kristen L. Penczek (IDA Examiner, August 2013)
  5. When Educational Promises Are Too Good to Be True by John Alexander (IDA Fact Sheet)
  6. Online Dyslexia Simulation Is Compelling, Powerful, and Wrong by Carolyn D. Cowen (IDA Examiner, March 2016)
  7. Beware of Education Promises Too Good to Be True! by Carolyn D. Cowen (IDA Infographic, October 2016)
  8. Thoughtful Responses to Controversial Dyslexia Study Offer Perspective by Examiner Editorial Board, (IDA Examiner, November 2017)
  9. The Effect of a Specialized Dyslexia Font, OpenDyslexic, on Reading Rate and Accuracy by Jessica J. Wery and Jennifer A. Diliberto (IDA Annals of Dyslexia, July 2017)
  10. Dyslexia Font Does Not Benefit Reading in Children With or Without Dyslexia by Sanne M. Kuster, Marjolijn van Weerdenburg, Marjolein Gompel, and Anna M. T. Bosman (IDA Annals of Dyslexia, December 2017)
  11. What is the Role of the Visual System in Reading and Dyslexia? by Jason D. Yeatman (IDA Examiner, February 2016)

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