Dyslexia

Children who are dyslexic have problems processing specific visual information, resulting in trouble reading and writing. New research suggests that dyslexics have difficulty with the control of eye movement. Some children with dyslexia may report a disturbing sensation of glare from the printed page. In some dyslexic children, reading causes headache. A professor of neurology at Magdalene College, Oxford, has spent 20 years researching the connection between lack of eye control and reading difficulties. He says: “ We are visual animals and eye movements are possibly the most important movements we make because they allow us to inspect the world around us. Dyslexia is not a disease. It is a brain difference, like left-handedness. Eye wobble is not obvious to the naked eye. The movements are small and very rapid. The hi-tech specs, which are worn for only a few minutes during tests, are the most accurate technique we have for detecting the amount of eye wobble. If we can get children early, their brains are flexible enough to enable them to improve control.