Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities: new challenges

Abstract

Dyslexia (or Specific Reading Disabilities) is characterized as reading difficulties that cannot be explained by any intelligence or motivational impairments that are known to hinder accurate and fluent reading. Dyslexia is one of the most common problems in childhood, and even affects adult populations. According to different studies, its prevalence in school-aged children is estimated to be between 5% and 17%. This is significant, since reading disabilities have been shown to be an important determining factor in the overall academic outcomes of countless children and adolescents. Dyslexia has been traditionally attributed to different factors, from defects in the visual system to language or phonological coding deficits, however, general agreement on its specific cause still remains elusive. This may well explain the fact that diagnostic guidelines for dyslexia often lack objective criteria, which makes early detection and intervention difficult. Within this context, the present study conducts a comprehensive revision of previous literature on this disorder, paying special attention to new assessment trends, and the challenges that the lack of objective and reliable measures of reading disabilities creates for future research and practice. Specifically, a special emphasis will be given to those factors related to visual and perceptual skills (i.e. saccadic movements, fixation, visual fusion), and also fluency and accuracy (i.e. Naming Speed variables), as well as how to evaluate these factors in concordance with previous theories that support traditional assessment methods. By means of this analysis, we intend to make readers familiar with some innovative techniques that are being used nowadays, and moreover, their main characteristics and potential usefulness for the assessment of reading disabilities in childhood and adolescence; thus inviting researchers and professionals to consider these techniques in their daily practice. Some key implications concerning the use of these measures will also be outlined.