DYSLEXIA ISN'T A DISORDER, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO HOW OUR SPECIES ADAPTS, SAY RESEARCHERS

People with dyslexia have brains that are geared towards exploring the unknown, a trait that's been crucial to the survival and success of humans

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Dyslexia should be considered a difference, not a disorder, researchers at the University of Cambridge say. This is evidenced by studies that show that people with dyslexia have brains that are specialised to explore the unknown and think in terms of the bigger picture.

Dyslexia can make reading and writing difficult, but is also associated with skills such as creative thinking and problem solving

The strengths of the dyslexic brain could have evolved as humans adapted to changing culture. To survive, we needed to learn skills and acquire habits, but we also needed to be creative and find novel solutions through exploration. In their new study, Dr Helen Taylor and Dr Martin Vestergaard say that this resulted in a trade-off whereby some people specialised in exploiting learned information, while others focused on discovery and invention.