Reading disability and enhanced dynamic spatial reasoning: A review of the literature

Abstract

Previous research on reading disabilities (RD) has primarily focused on the cause and expression of the disability. The vast majority of this research has focused on the disorder itself, although it has been proposed that RD embodies other qualities not necessarily related to language or reading deficits. In fact, strengths in nonverbal processing and visual-spatial talents have been proposed to exist in persons with RD. However, the limited empirical data on this matter have yielded inconsistent results. The purpose of this review was to examine this literature, focusing on research concerning dynamic and complex spatial processing or reasoning in people with dyslexia. Our review suggests that there is little evidence in support of a spatial advantage in people with dyslexia, and, in fact, the data show that RD samples most often perform worse or equal to non-RD samples. An exception to this general conclusion may be performance on holistic visualization of complex figures, where RD samples have consistently demonstrated faster response times even though accuracy rates often do not exceed that of controls. The possibility of a unique spatial processing neurology that develops through right-left hemisphere interactions in persons with RD is discussed based on preliminary fMRI data.

Visuo-Spatial Skills in Atypical Readers

“…This finding may support in part the multiple-deficit theory described earlier and it also reifies that the RD population is not homogenous in terms of skills and potential. We also found an exception to the equal or underperformance results in the domains of global/ holistic and virtual world navigation (see also Gilger et al, 2016). This domain is worthy of further attention.…”

“…For example, Schneps and colleagues observed astronomy students with RD and professional astrophysicists and discovered that they were better at detecting signals and had unique visual strategies to solve problems. They posited that many struggling individuals with RD may find success in careers that build on the type of strengths they naturally possess; however, the authors suggested that these abilities may not be manifested without proper training and guidance (see also Gilger et al, 2016;. Thus Schneps and colleagues imply that a special potential ability for these types of skills is inherent to the RD profile, but these abilities need to be trained.…”

Dyslexia and Enhanced Visuospatial Ability: A Maltese Study

“…Findings vary considerably. In the light of the obtained results, some appeared to magnify the spatial talent of individuals with dyslexia (Brunswick et al, 2010;Geschwind & Galaburda, 1987;Gilger et al, 2016;Symonds, 2005;Winner et al, 1991, Winner et al, 2001Wolff, 2011;Wolff & Lundberg, 2002). On the other hand, other studies failed to find consistent significant differences between individuals affected with dyslexia and the average participant (Brunswick et al, 2010;Duranovic et al, 2015;Rusiak et al, 2007;Wang and Yang, 2011;Winner et al, 2000).…”

“…These include those by Lyon, Shaywitz, and Shaywitz (2003), the definition in the Rose Report (2009) and the definition in the ICD-10 International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (2016). It is not the aim of this article to discuss these definitions; rather, it considers the possibility that dyslexia is a condition with associated non-language related attributes (Gilger, Allen, & Castillo, 2016). The Rose Report (2009) definition is based on the theory that dyslexia is often accompanied by gifts in the visual-spatial arena, a view consistent with Geschwind and Galaburda's pathology of superiority theory (1987) and it considers a wider array of characteristics of individuals with dyslexia, including their increased design, problem-solving, creative, interactive and oral skills, than do the other definitions.…”

Is Reading Impairment Associated with Enhanced Holistic Processing in Comparative Visual Search?

“…Despite focus on remediation of deficits associated with dyslexia (Shaywitz, Weiss, Saklofske, & Shaywitz, 2015), some scholars have examined the potential for strengths and improvements in certain aspects of attentional and cognitive processing that individuals with dyslexia may exhibit compared to normal readers (for a review, see Gilger, Allen, & Castillo, 2016). For example, Von Károlyi, Winner, Gray, and Sherman (2003) reviewed existing evidence and claims regarding the existence of the so-called 'visual-spatial talent' in individuals with dyslexia.…”