Motor skills, automaticity and developmental dyslexia: A review of the research literature

This paper reviews a body of prominent theoriesof automaticity in developmental dyslexia. Thefirst part of the review considers therelationship between dyslexia and rapidautomatic naming and fluency. Additionaltheoretical and empirical advances aresuggested to this already strong research base.In particular, there is a need is forexperimental work elucidating the nature ofnaming speed deficits and providing independentevidence of the automaticity of rapid naming.The second part of the review considersevidence for deficits in motor automaticity indyslexic children. Here, a more mixed patternof results is evident. It is concluded thatthere is currently clearer evidence forlanguage-based than motor-based automaticitydeficits. Future motor automaticity research islikely to require the routine screening of poorreaders for common co-occurring developmentaldifficulties, improved sampling and prospectivelongitudinal studies.

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