Eye Movements in Dyslexia

Abstract

The study of eye movements during reading has provided many important insights about the process of reading. Until recently, there has been a relatively broad consensus that the erratic eye movements of poor readers were a consequence of difficulties in learning the visual-verbal associations involved in reading, rather than being a primary cause of poor reading themselves. However, recent data has begun to question this assumption. In this month's Topical Review, the author reviews the research suggesting the erratic eye movements of dyslexics are not simply a consequence of poor reading skills. This research is important because, if it is substantiated in future work, examination of eye movement patterns may contribute significantly to the diagnosis of dyslexia. —J.K.T.