Dyslexia: competing theories explained

If you are able to see this string of symbols as a line of meaningful units, you are performing an extraordinary task. Many people take for granted the ability to read, however, not everyone can do it so effortlessly. Dyslexia in its broadest sense is consistent difficulty reading despite having the necessary education, intelligence, and opportunity. Definitions of the disorder that are more specific and in-depth have been heavily debated and revised countless times since the term ‘dyslexia’ was coined in the 1800s. One theory on the cause of dyslexia would lead to it being overly diagnosed while the next would question its very existence. In the past few decades, advances in neuroimaging technologies have allowed researchers to study the neural mechanisms of Dyslexia, enabling them to test predictions made on the basis of longstanding psychological theories formed over the years. The two prevailing theories are the Phonological Deficit Hypothesis and the Magnocellular Theory. Both are supported by extensive experimentation and concrete evidence but neither has been agreed upon as the universal explanation of the disorder. The latest Dyslexia research aims at determining which, if either, of these two theories is an appropriate model of Dyslexia.