Developmental Dyslexia: When the Brain Struggles to Read

Abstract

Developmental dyslexia is a learning difference in which people struggle with reading. Dyslexia is not due to low intelligence or the quality of classroom instruction. In fact, genes that play a role in language may impact people who have dyslexia. Brain imaging tools have also shown that the brain differs in individuals with dyslexia, and these differences in brain anatomy and brain function are in the parts of the brain that help us understand language. Children with dyslexia can improve their reading abilities with the right kinds of training, and these improvements can result in changes in the brain, too. There are still many things scientists are learning about the neuroscience of dyslexia. New discoveries could improve the lives of people who struggle with reading.