Research shows that dyslexia has a surprising benefit

A new study reframes the way scientists think about dyslexia. Researchers found that people with this particular learning disorder might have an advantage compared to people without it, as they have better decision-making skills, spatial awareness, and more.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, revisits the way developmental dyslexia has been viewed and highlights some of the benefits it offers for people with the condition.

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The study shows that the brains of people with dyslexia may find it easier to scan their surroundings for cues, affecting their decision-making skills, skills that were very important when people were making frequent life-or-death decisions.

“This research proposes a new framework to help us better understand the cognitive strengths of people with dyslexia,” said Helen Taylor, a University of Cambridge psychologist and one of the lead authors of the study.

Dyslexia is a condition known to affect reading and learning. While this limitation can affect people’s self-esteem, particularly due to the way modern learning is designed, scientists have found that people with dyslexia are better equipped at spatial reasoning and are also more inventive, creative, and better at producing a variety of outcomes to predict.

“We believe that the problem areas of people with dyslexia result from a cognitive trade-off between exploring new information and using existing knowledge, with the benefit being an exploratory bias that could explain enhanced skills found in specific domains such as discovery, invention and creativity,” said Taylor.

Researchers explain that people with dyslexia have been around forever, with our reliance on reading and learning ⁠ – relatively recent developments in terms of evolution ⁠ – bringing this issue to the forefront, leading experts to view it as a cognitive disability.

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Dyslexia is a common condition with approximately 3 million cases reported annually in the United States. It usually runs in families and is often associated with learning disabilities, social problems, and problems growing up.