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Phonological skills, visual attention span, andvisual stress in developmental dyslexiaAmanda SaksidaPSL Research University, Paris, Franceamanda.saksida@gmail.comCo-authors: Genedys Consortium, FranckRamusThe present study aims to concurrentlyinvestigate three distinct types of cognitivedeficits that are potential causes ofdevelopmental dyslexia: the phonologicaldeficit, the visual attention span deficit, andvisual stress. For this purpose, we administeredthe tests relevant to each hypothesis to alarge French population of 164 dyslexic and118 control children. We aim to estimate therelative prevalence of each type of deficit withinthe French dyslexic population, their potentialoverlap, and their explanatory value with respectto diagnostic category and to literacy skills.As part of a larger study on the genetic basesof dyslexia we tested 282 (164 dyslexic, 118control) French children (8-13 years old, grades 3to 7). All children were tested with psychometrictests (Wisc IV), underwent attention screening(Child Behaviour Checklist), and completedreading tasks (Alouette and Odedys).They also completed phonological assessment(they were tested on RAN, spoonerisms, andphoneme deletion), visual attention span test(global and partial letter report) and a patternglare test to assess visual stress. We havefound that dyslexic children are in general veryimpaired in phonological skills. Less than athird (28%) are also impaired in visual attentionspan, but none of the dyslexic children showedonly visual and no phonological deficit. Onlyfew children reported visual stress, and theproportion did not differ between the two groups of participants. Overall, visual deficits didnot significantly explain the variance in readingsills, nor did they serve as a good predictor ofdyslexia. The results thus support the theory ofdyslexia as a primary phonological deficit.
