Developmental dyslexia essential to human adaptive success, study argues

Researchers say people with Developmental Dyslexia have specific strengths relating to exploring the unknown that have contributed to the successful adaptation and survival of our species. -The deficit-centred view of dyslexia isn-t telling the whole story. This research proposes a new framework to help us better understand the cognitive strengths of people with dyslexia. Dr Helen Taylor Cambridge researchers studying cognition, behaviour and the brain have concluded that people with dyslexia are specialised to explore the unknown. This is likely to play a fundamental role in human adaptation to changing environments. They think this -explorative bias- has an evolutionary basis and plays a crucial role in our survival. Based on these findings - which were apparent across multiple domains from visual processing to memory and at all levels of analysis - the researchers argue that we need to change our perspective of dyslexia as a neurological disorder.