For an experienced reader, recognising the words on this page feels effortless. Yet, evolutionarily speaking, your brain shouldn’t be able to read. Reading has existed for too short a time to have shaped a dedicated centre in the brain.

Therefore, the brain has to learn to read using systems that evolved for other purposes. But it has long been unclear exactly which systems it recruits to do so and how.

This is important, as differences in these pre-existing systems could shed light on why some of us find reading easier than others. It could also explain how people who are deaf, blind or have dyslexia learn to read in remarkably different ways. In my new paper, published in Cerebral Cortex, I have come up with some answers.

Read more HERE

Compared with TD peers, ADHD + DD children exhibited impairments in inhibitory control (including Stroop A/B/C/D RT, Stroop B/D error count, and word interference time), all working memory indices, cognitive flexibility (digit-alphabet linking time), and all visual perception measures (all p < 0.05). After intervention the outcomes revealed significant Group × Time differences in EF, including inhibitory control (Stroop B/D RT, word interference time), working memory (delayed detail and structural memory), and cognitive flexibility (digit–alphabet linking time) (p < 0.05). Post-hoc tests confirmed that OSE yielded significantly greater improvements than CSE. For secondary visual perception outcomes, all measures showed significant Group × Time interactions (all p < 0.05). Further adjusted analyses demonstrated that OSE outperformed CSE significantly in visual-motor integration (VMI), copying ability, motor-reduced visual perception (MRP), form consistency, and general visual perception (GVP) (all p < 0.05).

Read the study HERE

A Norfolk driving school has become what it believes is the first in the county to have its entire team trained to teach neurodivergent learners.

Read it HERE

Students learn best when schools identify reading challenges early and provide support before they fall behind.

H.B. 296, Reading Disability Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Susan Pulsipher, strengthened Utah’s reading assessments by requiring schools to identify characteristics of dyslexia during existing literacy screenings and respond with appropriate interventions.

Building on that work, H.B. 393, Early Intervention for Dyslexia Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Ariel Defay, created Utah’s Dyslexia Screening Pilot Program in partnership with the University of Utah. S.B. 81, Dyslexia Testing Amendments, sponsored in the House by Rep. Ariel Defay, requires schools to respond when assessments identify characteristics of dyslexia, reading delays, or a lack of reading competency.

Together, these reforms help schools identify struggling readers earlier and connect students with the support they need to succeed.

Read more HERE

The rapid rise of dyslexia in public discourse reflects a long-overdue shift in education. For decades, students with persistent reading difficulties were misunderstood, mislabeled or overlooked entirely. Increased awareness has helped dispel harmful myths, fueled the Science of Reading movement, and prompted schools to take literacy instruction more seriously.

The urgency could not be greater. According to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 31% of fourth graders performed at or above the proficient level in reading, while 40% scored below the basic level, the highest percentage since 2002.

The Science of Reading has transformed what educators know about teaching children to read. The challenge now is no longer one of knowledge. It is one of implementation.

Read more HERE

There is no one test or tool that encompasses all the recommended skills. This is not an inclusive or recommended list of screeners/programs. Any screening
tool(s) selected must have evidence of adequate reliability and validity. Administration, scoring and interpretation should be completed in accordance with the
directions, norms and cut points provided with the instrument.

See it HERE