Dyslexia is often considered a form of disability. Dyslexic children have difficulty reading, decoding words and, more generally, studying language. But as in most situations where there is a weakness or dysfunction, there also tends to be another area that is stronger or more developed than average.
A recent study by the University of California, San Francisco , examined how dyslexic children reacted to videos that appealed to their emotions. The results seem to indicate that when watching a video designed to elicit an emotional response, dyslexic children between the ages of 8 and 12 react more emotionally than their non-dyslexic peers.
Researchers have linked this phenomenon to the brain’s salience network, i.e. the part of the brain that ‘promotes the generation of emotions and self-awareness’. Dyslexic children therefore seem to possess greater social and emotional intelligence than their non-dyslexic peers.
They were quick to point out that more research is needed to better understand the significance of this type of discovery. According to them, it could have potential implications for optimising teaching approaches for dyslexic pupils. For example, small group or individual lessons may be the best solution, as smaller social situations encourage the formation of closer emotional bonds between individuals.
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