Dyslexia

Early Research

As early as 1676, one of the first described cases of individuals affected by dyslexia was reported, but the first specific investigation actually dates back to fundamental studies in 1896 and 1897, conducted respectively by Pringle-Morgan and Kerr. The difficulties were called “dyslexia” (dys-: difficult; lexis: speech) due to reading deficits similar to those later observed following brain injuries in previously skilled adult readers. Currently, the prevalence of developmental dyslexia is estimated to be between 3% and 7% worldwide.

What are the difficulties experienced by people with dyslexia?

Dyslexia has been defined as “a deficient acquisition of literacy despite adequate intellectual capacity and sufficient schooling“. Another widely used definition comes from a consensus among the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), the National Center for LearningIl termine apprendimento - con i sinonimi imparare, assimila... More Disabilities (NCLD), and the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), which define dyslexia as:

“a specific learning disorder of neurobiological origin. It is characterized by difficulties in accurate and/or fluent word recognition and poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically stem from a deficit in the phonological component of language, often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience, which can hinder vocabulary growth and basic knowledge acquisition“.

In recent years, extensive research has established that dyslexia should be considered not only a specific learning disorder but also a neurobiological syndrome.

Indeed, although reading deficits are the primary diagnostic criterion, dyslexic individuals may present a variety of other difficulties, such as reduced ability to sequence word sounds auditorily and letters visually, poor short-term memory for sequences, and poor motor sequencing leading to incoordination, clumsiness, and poor handwriting.

Since sensorimotor deficits are often also observed in various developmental disorders, some researchers attribute the cognitive and motor deficiencies in dyslexia to both functional and structural abnormalities of the cerebellumThe cerebellum is a structure composed of two symmetrical ce... More.

What are the possible causes of dyslexia?

Although the causes of this condition are not fully known, both genetic and environmental factors are believed to be involved. Dyslexia can appear in multiple members of the same family; it frequently co-occurs with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and can also manifest in adulthood due to traumatic brain injuries, stroke, or dementiaDementia is a medical condition characterized by the progres... More.

How is dyslexia diagnosed?

Dyslexia is diagnosed through specific tests of memory, spelling, vision, and reading ability and is distinguished from reading difficulties caused by insufficient instruction or hearing or vision deficits.

Quadrato Motor Training and Dyslexia

RINED, the Research Institute of the Patrizio Paoletti Foundation in NeuroscienceThe human brain is one of the most complex and fascinating s... More, Education, and Didactics, has conducted numerous studies on the practice of mindful movement Quadrato Motor Training, developed by Patrizio Paoletti, involving various populations, including dyslexic subjects. It has been observed that this practice has positive effects on individuals with dyslexia, and it is hypothesized that this is due to the combination of cognitive, emotional, and motor aspects in the exercise, which act on cerebellar function.