What is the Role of the Visual System in Reading and Dyslexia?

The fact that reading depends on the integrity of the visual system does not imply that visual impairments are a common cause of reading difficulties. Indeed, reading might start in the retina and the visual cortex, but successful decoding of even a single written word requires the participation of multiple brain systems including regions of the brain that are specialized for processing language, spatial attention, programming eye movements, and more.

A major achievement in the scientific study of reading has been to demonstrate the central role of phonemic awareness, or the ability to attend to and manipulate speech sounds (phonemes), in the development of skilled reading (Bradley & Bryant, 1983; Wagner & Torgesen, 1987).

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