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November 2017
By IDA Examiner Editorial Board
A recent article in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B (“Left–Right Asymmetry of the Maxwell Spot Centroids in Adults Without and With Dyslexia”) ignited a firestorm of curiosity and consternation across and beyond the dyslexia field and community. Media sensationalizing fanned the flames with eureka! headlines announcing discovery of a visual-deficit cause for dyslexia.
The International Dyslexia Association encourages and supports research on dyslexia, and we do our best to share what we learn from that work, including how professionals can apply those findings in the field. In that spirit, we share two thoughtful responses to the Floch and Ropars study.
- One is from Posie Boggs, Editor-in-Chief of our e-newsletter for parents, Dyslexia Connection.
- The other is from Mark Seidenberg, author of Language at the Speed of Sight and a cognitive neuroscientist and professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
We hope both responses provide grounding and perspective amid all the hubbub. This is not the first time our community has been called upon to assess the relevance and merit of such a study or, for that matter, to weigh in on trending treatments or misguided ideas about dyslexia. Nor will it be the last.
Even with all we have learned about dyslexia, science has only begun to unravel the complexities of this neurodevelopmental, multidimensional, spectrum condition. Considered assessment of the relevance and quality of dyslexia-related research will remain crucial to translating expanding frontiers of knowledge into sound practices that actually make a difference in the lives of individuals with dyslexia.
As future analyses and developments related to the Floch and Ropars study may emerge, we will share what we learn. As always, the International Dyslexia Association endeavors to help you stay abreast of and informed about relevant research and other dyslexia developments.
Copyright © 2017 International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Opinions expressed in The Examiner and/or via links do not necessarily reflect those of IDA.
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