A few weeks ago, researchers from Cambridge published findings that support what many parents and partners of loved ones with dyslexia have suspected for a long time. There is something special about our dyslexic friends.
Dyslexia has long been considered a learning disability that makes it difficult to attain the language skills of reading, writing and spelling, and it can be found in varying degrees in up to 20% of the general world population. However, this deficit-centred view of dyslexia as a cognitive disorder may soon become outdated as brain and cognition scientists start to explore new frameworks that incorporate the strengths inherent in the dyslexic brain.
The new study, called ‘Developmental Dyslexia: Disorder or Specialization in Exploration?’, was published in Frontiers in Psychology journal. It applies a cross-disciplinary approach using an evolutionary perspective to propose that the dyslexic brain may have played a fundamental role in human adaptation to changing environments throughout our evolutionary history, contributing to the successful adaptation and survival of the whole human species.
Lead author Dr Helen Taylor says, “We believe that the areas of difficulty experienced by people with dyslexia result from a cognitive trade-off between exploration of new information and exploitation of existing knowledge, with the upside being an explorative bias that could explain enhanced abilities observed in certain realms like discovery, invention and creativity.” She continues, “It could also explain why people with dyslexia appear to gravitate towards certain professions that require exploration-related abilities, such as arts, architecture, engineering, and entrepreneurship.”
This explorative bias leans more towards activities that involve searching the unknown such as experimentation and innovation, and thrives in areas of creativity. It would have been useful to the group when needing to search for food or improved living conditions, especially in times of great uncertainty or change. Meanwhile, the contrasting skill of exploitation is more readily adapted to using resources already known, with a focus on refinement, efficiency and selection. With the recent phenomenon of reading and writing becoming mainstream throughout society, exploitive brains are more able to adapt to such tasks.
As in any complex system, we have had to collaborate with each other, complementing our neighbours’ cognitive abilities in order to survive and thrive. Such new strength-based frameworks on learning and individual difference have arrived at a time where the world is well positioned to appreciate those who are able to ‘think outside the square’ and find innovative solutions to the problems affecting us all. The next step may now be to remind those among us with complementary cognitions just how appreciated they are.
Taylor, H and Vestergaard MD: ‘Developmental Dyslexia: Disorder or Specialization in Exploration?’ Frontiers in Psychology (June 2022). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.889245