Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Dyslexia: Advances in Theory and Practice pp 173–196Cite as

Developmental Dyslexia: The Role of the Cerebellum

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Neuropsychology and Cognition ((NPCO,volume 16))

Abstract

Specific developmental dyslexia is normally identified by unexpected problems in learning to read for children of average or above average intelligence —“a disorder in children who, despite conventional classroom experience, fail to attain the language skills of reading, writing and spelling commensurate with their intellectual abilities” (from the definition by the World Federation of Neurology, 1968, p26). A typical estimate of the prevalence of dyslexia in Western school populations is 4% (Badian, 1984; Jorm, Share, Maclean, & Matthews, 1986), with roughly four times as many boys as girls being diagnosed, though other investigators (Shaywitz, Shaywitz, Fletcher and Escobar, 1990) have reported incidence as high as 10%. Dyslexia is genetic in origin (Smith, Kimberling, Pennington, & Lubs, 1983), and cannot therefore be ‘outgrown’ in adulthood, even if the reading difficulties are largely overcome.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Ackerman, P.T., Dykman, R.A. and Gardner, M.Y. (1990). ADD students with and without dyslexia differ in sensitivity to rhyme and alliteration. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23, 279–283.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Adams, M.J. (1990) Beginning to Read: Thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akshoomoff, N.A. and Courchesne, E. (1992). A new role for the cerebellum in cognitive operations. Behavioral Neuroscience, 106, 731–738.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J.R. (1982). Acquisition of cognitive skill. Psychological Review, 89, 369–406.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association (1987). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Augur, J. (1985). Guidelines for teachers, parents and learners. In M. Snowling (Ed.). Children’s written language difficulties. Windsor: NFER Nelson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Badian, N.A. 1984. Reading disability in an epidemiological context: Incidence and environmental correlates. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 17: 129–136.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boder, E. (1973). Developmental dyslexia: a diagnostic approach based on three atypical spelling-reading patterns. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 15, 663–687.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, L. (1988). Making connections in learning to read and to spell. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 2, 3–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, L. and Bryant, P.E. (1978). Difficulties in auditory organisation as a possible cause of reading backwardness. Nature, 271, 746–747.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, L. and Bryant, P.E. (1983). Categorising sounds and learning to read: A causal connection. Nature, 301, 419–421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, P. and Goswami, U. (1986). Strengths and weaknesses of the reading level design. Psychological Bulletin, 100, 101–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clay, M.M. (1993). An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement.. Auckland, NZ: Heinemann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1969). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Decety, J., Sjoholm, H., Ryding, E., Stenberg, G., & Ingvar, D.H. (1990). The cerebellum participates in mental activity - tomographic measurements of regional cerebral blood flow. Brain Research, 535, 313–317.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Denckla, M.B. and Rudel, R.G. (1976). Rapid ‘Automatized’ naming (R.A.N.). Dyslexia differentiated from other learning disabilities. Neuropsychologia, 14, 471–479.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dow, R.S. and Moruzzi, G. (1958). The physiology and pathology of the cerebellum. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duane, D.D. and Gray, D.B. (Eds.), (1990). The reading brain: the biological basis of dyslexia. Parkton MD: York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J.C., Ito, M., & Szentagothai, J. (1967). The cerebellum as a neuronal machine. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eden, G. F., Vanmeter, J. W., Rumsey, J. M., Maisog, J. M, Woods, R. P, and Zeffiro, T. A. (1996). Abnormal processing of visual-motion in dyslexia revealed by functional brain imaging. Nature,.382, 66–69.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fawcett, A. J. (1990). A Cognitive Architecture of Dyslexia. PhD Thesis, University of Sheffield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fawcett, A.J. & Nicolson, R.I. (1992). Automatisation Deficits in Balance for Dyslexic Children. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 75, 507–529.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fawcett, A.J. & Nicolson, R.I. (Eds.), (1994). Dyslexia in Children: Multidisciplinary perspectives. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fawcett, A. J. & Nicolson, R.I. (1995a). Persistence of phonological awareness deficits in older children with dyslexia. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 7, 361–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fawcett, A.J. and Nicolson, R.I. (1995b). Naming speed and dyslexia. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27, 641–647.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fawcett, A.J. and Nicolson, R.I. (1995c). Persistent deficits in motor skill for children with dyslexia. Journal of Motor Behavior, 27, 235–241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fawcett, A. J., Nicolson, R.I. and Dean, P. (1996). Impaired performance of children with dyslexia on a range of cerebellar tasks. Annals of Dyslexia, 46, 259–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fawcett, A.J. and Nicolson, R.I. (1998). Performance of dyslexic children on cognitive and cerebellar tests. Journal of Motor Behavior, in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiez, J.A., Petersen, S.E.,Cheney, M.K. and Raichle, M.E. (1992). Impaired non-motor learning and error detection associated with cerebellar damage: a single case study. Brain, 115, 155–178.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fitts P. M. & Posner, M. I. 1967. Human performance. Belmont, CA: Brooks Cole.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, A. (1991). How early phonological development might set the stage for phoneme awareness. In S. Brady and D. Shankweiler (Eds.), Phonological Processes in Literacy. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frank, J. and Levinson, H.N. (1973). Dysmetric dyslexia and dyspraxia: hypothesis and study. Journal of American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 12., 690–701.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frith, U. (1997). Brain, mind and behaviour in dyslexia. In C Hulme & M. Snowling (Eds) Dyslexia: Biology, cognition and intervention. Whurr.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galaburda, A.M. (Ed.), (1989). From Reading to Neurons. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galaburda, A.M., Menard, A.M. and Rosen, G.D. (1994). Evidence for aberrant auditory anatomy in developmental dyslexia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 91, 8010–8013.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Galaburda, A.M., Rosen, G.D., and Sherman, G.F. (1989). The neural origin of developmental dyslexia: Implications for medicine, neurology and cognition. In A.M. Galaburda (Ed.) From Reading to Neurons, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glickstein, M. (1993). Motor skills but not cognitive tasks. Trends in Neuroscience, 16, 450–451.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haslum, M.N. (1989). Predictors of dyslexia? Irish Journal of Psychology, 10, 622–630.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatcher, P.J., Hulme, C. and Ellis, A.W. (1994). Ameliorating early reading failure by integrating the teaching of reading and phonological skills: the phonological linkage hypothesis. Child Development., 65, 41–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, G. (1917). The symptoms of acute cerebellar injuries due to gunshot injuries. Brain, 40, 461–535.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, G. (1939). The cerebellum of man. Brain, 62, 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ito, M. (1984). The cerebellum and neural control. New York: Raven Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Ito, M. (1990). A new physiological concept on cerebellum. Revue Neurologique (Paris), 146, 564–569.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, I.H., Brooks, D.J., Nixon, P.D., Frackowiak, R.S.J., & Passingham, R.E. (1994). Journal of Neuroscience, 14, 3775–90.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jorm, A.F., Share, D.L., McLean, R. and Matthews, D. (1986). Cognitive factors at school entry predictive of specific reading retardation and general reading backwardness: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 27, 45–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krupa, D.J., Thompson, J.K. and Thompson, R.F. (1993). Localization of a memory trace in the mammalian brain. Science, 260, 989–991.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leiner, H.C., Leiner, A.L., & Dow, R.S. (1989). Reappraising the cerebellum: what does the hindbrain contribute to the forebrain? Behavioural Neuroscience, 103, 998–1008.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leiner, H.C., Leiner, A.L., & Dow, R.S. (1993). Cognitive and language functions of the human cerebellum. Trends in Neuroscience, 16, 444–447.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, H. N. (1990). The diagnostic value of cerebellar-vestibular in detecting learning disabilities, dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 71, 67–82.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Livingstone, M.S., Rosen, G.D., Drislane, F.W., & Galaburda, A.M. (1991). Physiological and anatomical evidence for a magnocellular deficit in developmental dyslexia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 88, 7943–7947.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Llinás, R. (1993). Is dyslexia a dyschronia? Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 682, 48–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke, J.L. (1983). Phonological acquisition and change. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke, J.L. (1993). The child’s path to spoken language. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovegrove, W.J., Garzia, R.P., & Nicholson, S.B. (1990). Experimental evidence of a transient system deficit in specific reading disability. Journal of the American Optometrie Association, 61, 137–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lundberg, I., Frost, J., and Petersen, O.P. (1988). Long term effects of a pre-school training program in phonological awareness. Reading Research Quarterly, 28, 263–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyon, G.R., Gray, D.B., Kavanagh. J.F. and Krasnegor, N.A. (Eds.) (1993). Better understanding learning disabilities. Baltimore: Brookes.

    Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, J.L., McNaughton, B.L. and O’Reilly, R.C. (1995). Why there are complementary learning systems in the hippocampus and neocortex: Insights from the successes and failures of connectionist models of learning and memory. Psychological Review, 192, 419–457.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miles, T.R. (1993). Dyslexia: the pattern of difficulties. London: Whurr.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mody, M., Studdert-Kennedy, M. & Brady, S. (1997). Speech perception deficits in poor readers: Auditory processing or phonological coding? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 64, 199–231.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, F.J. and Manis, F.R. (1983). Cognitive processes in reading disability: a critique and proposal. In C.J. Brainerd and M. Pressley (Eds.), Progress in Cognitive Development Research. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolson, R.I. and Fawcett, A.J. (1990). Automaticity: A new framework for dyslexia research. Cognition, 35, 159–182.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nicolson, R.I. and Fawcett, A.J. (1994a). Reaction Times and Dyslexia. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 47A, 29–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolson, R.I. and Fawcett, A.J. (1994b). Comparison of deficits in cognitive and motor skills among children with dyslexia. Annals of Dyslexia, 44, 147–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolson, R.I. & Fawcett, A.J. (1994c) Long-term skill learning in dyslexic children In A.J. Fawcett & R.I. Nicolson (Eds.) Dyslexia in children: Multidisciplinary perspectives. Hemel Hempstead, UK: Harvester Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolson, R.I. and Fawcett, A.J. (1994d). Spelling Remediation for Dyslexic Children: a Skills Approach. In Brown, G.D.A. and Ellis, N.C. (Eds.), Handbook of Spelling: Theory, process and intervention. Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolson, R.I. and Fawcett, A.J. (1995). Dyslexia is more than a phonological disability. Dyslexia: An international journal of research and practice, 1, 19–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolson, R.I. (1996). Developmental Dyslexia: Past, Present and Future. Dyslexia: An International ournal of Research and Practice. 2, 190–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicolson, R.I., Fawcett, A.J. and Dean, P (1995). Time estimation deficits in developmental dyslexia: vidence for cerebellar involvement. Proceedings of the Royal Society. 259, 43–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, R.K., Wise, B.W. & Rack, J.P. (1989). Dyslexia: Deficits, genetic aetiology and computer based emediation. Irish Journal of Psychology, 10, 594–508.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orton Society (1995). Definition of dyslexia: report from committee of members. Perspectives, 21, 6–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Passingham, R.E. (1975). Changes in the size and organization of the brain in man and his ancestors. Brain Behavior and Evolution, 11, 73–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paulesu, E., Frith, CD., and Frackowiak, R.J. (1993). The neural correlates of the verbal component of working memory. Nature, 362, 342–345.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Paulesu, E., Frith, U., Snowling, M., Gallagher, A., Morton, J., Frackowiak, R.S.J, and Frith, CD. (1996). Is developmental dyslexia a disconnection syndrome - evidence from PET scanning. Brain, 119, 143–157.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rack, J. (1985). Orthographic and phonetic coding in normal and dyslexic readers. British Journal of Psychology, 76, 325–340.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ramsay, D.S. (1984). Onset of duplicated syllable babbling and unimanual handedness in infants: Evidence for developmental change in hemispheric specialization? Developmental Psychology, 20, 64–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roland, P.E., Eriksson, L., Widén, L. and Stone-Elander, S. (1989). Changes in regional cerebral oxidative metabolism induced by tactile learning and recognition in man. European Journal of Neuroscience, 1, 3–18.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rudel, R.G. (1985). The definition of dyslexia: language and motor deficits. In F.H. Duffy & N. Geschwind (Eds.), Dyslexia: a neuroscientific approach to clinical evaluation. Boston, MA: Little Brown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmahmann, J.D. (Ed.) (1997). The cerebellum and Cognition. San Diego:Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seidenberg, M.S. (1993). Connectionist models and cognitive theory. Psychological Science, 4, 228–235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seymour, P.H.K. (1986). Cognitive Analysis of Dyslexia. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seymour, P.H.K. (1987). Individual cognitive analysis of competent and impaired reading. British Journal of Psychology, 78, 483–506.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shankweiler, D., Crain, S., Katz, L., Fowler, A.E., Liberman, A.M., Brady, S.A., Thornton, R., Lundquist, E., Dreyer, L., Fletcher, J.M., Stuebing, K.K., Shaywitz, S.E., and Shaywitz, B.A. (1995). Cognitive profiles of reading-disabled children - comparison of language-skills in phonology, morphology, and syntax. Psychological Science, 6, 149–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaywitz, S.E., Shaywitz, B.A., Fletcher, J.M. and Escobar, M.D. (1990). Prevalence of reading-disability in boys and girls - results of the Connecticut Longitudinal Study. Journal of the American Medical Association, 264, 998–1002,

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shiffrin, R.M. and Schneider, W. (1977). Controlled and automatic human information processing: II. Perceptual learning, automatic attending and general theory. Psychological Review, 84, 127–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silver, L. B.(1987). The ‘magic cure’: A review of the current controverisal approaches for treating learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 20, 498–505.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Silveri, M.C., Leggio, M.G. & Molinari, M. (1994). The cerebellum contributes to linguistic production: A case of agrammatic speech following a right cerebellar lesion. Neurology, 44, 2047–2050.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, S.D., Kimberling, W.J., Pennington, B.F. & Lubs, A.A. (1983). Specific reading disability: Identification of an inherited form through linkage analysis. Science, 219, 1345–1347.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Snowling, M. (1987). Dyslexia: A cognitive developmental perspective. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snowling, M.J., Goulandris, N., Bowlby, M. & Howell, P. (1986). Segmentation and speech perception in relation to reading skill: a developmental analysis. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 41, 487–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snowling, M. and Hulme, C. (1994). The development of phonological skills. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B, 346, 21–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Squire, L.R., Knowlton, B. and Musen, G. (1993). The structure and organisation of memory. Annual Review of Psychology, 44, 453–495.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stanovich, K.E. (1988). Explaining the differences between the dyslexic and the garden-variety poor reader: The phonological-core variable-difference model. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 21, 590–612.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stein, J.F. (1989). Visuospatial perception and reading problems. Irish Journal of Psychology, 10, 521–533.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein, J.F. and Glickstein, M. (1992). Role of the cerebellum in visual guidance of movement. Physiological Reviews, 72, 972–1017.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein, J.F. (1994). Developmental dyslexia, neural timing and hemispheric lateralisation. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 18, 241 -249.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stein, J. and Walsh, V. (1997). To see but not to read: the magnocellular theory of dyslexia. Trends in Neuroscience, 20, 147–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R.J. (1988). The Triarchic Mind. New York: Viking.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strag, G. (1972). Comparative behavioural ratings of parents with severe mentally retarded, special learning disability, and normal children. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 5, 52–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tallal P. (1985). Auditory temporal perception, phonics and reading disabilities in children. Brain and Language, 9, 182–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tallal, P., Miller, S. and Fitch, R.H. (1993). Neurobiological basis of speech - a case for the pre-eminence of temporal processing. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 682, 27–47.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thach, W.T. (1996). On the specific role of the cerebellum in motor learning and cognition: Cues from PET activation and lesion studies in man. Brain and Behavioural Sciences.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, M.E. (1984). Developmental dyslexia: Its nature, assessment and remediation. London: Edward Arnold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vellutino, F.R. (1979). Dyslexia: Theory and research. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (1976). Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Revised (WISC-R). Slough, UK: NFER.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, T.G. (1991). In the Mind’s Eye. Visual thinkers, gifted people with learning difficulties, computer images, and the ironies of creativity. Buffalo NY: Prometheus Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wise, B.W. and Olson, R.K. (1995). Computer-based phonological awareness and reading-instruction, Annals of Dyslexia, 45, 99–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, M. (1991). Naming speed and reading: The contribution of the cognitive neurosciences. Reading Research Quarterly, 26, 123 -141.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Federation of Neurology (1968). Report of research group on dyslexia and world illiteracy. Dallas: WFN.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yap, R.L. and van der Leij, A. (1994). Testing the automatization deficit hypothesis of dyslexia via a dual task paradigm. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27, 660–665.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Roderick I. Nicolson & Angela J. Fawcett

Authors
  1. Roderick I. Nicolson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Angela J. Fawcett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden

    Ingvar Lundberg

  2. Center for Reading Research, Stavanger, Norway

    Finn Egil Tønnessen  & Ingolv Austad  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Nicolson, R.I., Fawcett, A.J. (1999). Developmental Dyslexia: The Role of the Cerebellum. In: Lundberg, I., Tønnessen, F.E., Austad, I. (eds) Dyslexia: Advances in Theory and Practice. Neuropsychology and Cognition, vol 16. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4667-8_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4667-8_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5967-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4667-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation