WIKIMEDIA, CPL. DENGRIER M. BAEZIf “seeing is believing,” then “hearing is learning” might be the new maxim born from two reports showing that Bluetooth-style listening devices can treat dyslexia. The research also identifies a biological explanation for this language disorder that could lead to its earlier diagnosis, even in toddlers who have not begun to speak or read. The studies were published this week (February 19) in the Journal of Neuroscience and in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last autumn (October 9, 2012).
“These papers are very important because they provide a neural explanation for a large body of research on auditory processing in children with language learning problems, including dyslexia,” said Paula Tallal, a leader in the field for 30 years and co-director of the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University.
Dyslexia is the most prevalent learning disability among children. Not merely an affliction of the visual system that causes children’s eyes to rearrange written words, dyslexia also stems from problems with auditory processing, such as accurately interpreting speech. While their hearing ability is typically normal, dyslexics often struggle with assigning the right sounds to the right letters, a skill known as phonological awareness. For example, they might confuse the words “bad” and “dad” ...
