Video Games Improve Reading Performance in those with Dyslexia

A recent study shows how video games can help to potentially improve reading performance in those with dyslexia. Through helping certain individuals to overcome their inability to switch from auditory to visual stimuli, lead study author Vanessa Harrar of the University of Oxford in Britain found that fast action video games proved useful in training dyslexic individuals to overcome their lack of ability to differentiate between the two.

The study included average individuals and those with dyslexia, both who were asked to push a button when they heard a sound, saw a picture or experienced both sensory inputs at the same time. Researchers also found that each participant took time to respond to a stimulus that was recorded and evaluated.

Though individuals with dyslexia were as fast as those without when they saw only a picture or only heard a sound, they were slower to respond in general when they heard a sound and saw a picture at the same time due to their inability to switch between sensory inputs.

Researchers conclude that teaching the alphabet to dyslexic individuals can help them follow the opposite pattern of teaching than is typically used for the average person. For instance, hearing the sound of a letter or word and then seeing the written letter or word can help improve dyslexic individual's ability to read and understand the information, according to background information from the study.

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Current Biology.