A Cerebellar Deficit in Dyslexia and How it Affects the Classroom

Abstract

The cerebellar deficit hypothesis is one theory explaining developmental dyslexia. Reviewing the current literature, I explained the theory, identified some key components of dyslexia research that are agreed upon, and acknowledged other concepts needing more study. The cerebellum is involved in at least some cases of dyslexia, dyslexia manifests itself differently in different individuals, and many dyslexics learn to cope with dyslexia by adulthood. Interviewing two classroom teachers, I observed that teachers between school districts are not consistently trained, the quality of dyslexia intervention differs between districts, and the schools surveyed did not track dyslexia intervention success rate. We need to reorganize dyslexia intervention because there is no way to determine if current interventions are successful. While more research is necessary from both an educational and scientific standpoint, I conclude by suggesting reorganization strategies for dyslexia intervention that would positively impact the classroom.