Executive Functioning Deficits and Dyslexia

For the past fifteen years or so, I have specialized in working with students with Executive Functioning challenges (Executive Dysfunction) in a variety of settings including therapy, coaching, and school supports. These students have represented a wide range of diagnosis including ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety Disorders. Throughout that time frame I have also worked directly with students with a range of Reading Disabilities including Dyslexia, as I started thinking through the needs of these Dyslexic students and the best supports for them, my mind fell on a handful of students with Dyslexia who demonstrated some of the same Executive Dysfunction concerns as my students with ADHD. That made me want to dive into the research and learn more.

Every definition of Executive Functioning is a little different, but basically, they all define the general concept that there is part of our brain (prefrontal cortex) that manages our own brain's resources. The Executive Functions are a control mechanism that helps us manage our internal and external resources effectively in the real world. When we assess Executive Functions we are looking at concepts like the ability to shift from one task to another, the ability to initiate a new task, the ability to organize materials, and the ability to emotionally regulate.

Similarly, there are many opinions and perspectives on a good Dyslexia definition, but I'll simplify it to say Dyslexia is a neurological condition that impacts the ability of a person to acquire the ability to read written language. Dyslexia isn't "seeing words backwards" but instead a neurological difficulty that some individuals have that makes it difficult to code and decode written language in the same way as their chronological peers.

So the question I wonders is whether or not there is overlap of these two conditions. On my first pass through the research the evidence points to a strong indication that there is a relationship between Dyslexia and Executive Dysfunction. A 2014 study indicated that there is a significant impact of executive attention including auditory and visual-spatial attention that impact a student's early reading acquisition (Varvana 2014). This study also noted that verbal working memory tended to be impacted in students with Dyslexia, but not necessarily nonverbal working memory. This study suggests that these underlying executive functioning traits could significantly impact early literacy. This makes sense, in that if a student was struggling with verbal working memory, it might be difficult to process and hold the information when an adult reads a word or letter to a child and that child has to remember and apply that information.

Another study in 2005 (Reiter 2005) tried to look at general overlap between Dyslexia and the Executive Functions. The study found that " children with dyslexia demonstrate impairments in a variety of executive functions. This should be considered in the development of new concepts in the treatment of dyslexia". This research group also indicated that significantly more work needed to be done to better understand the relationship of Dyslexia and Executive Functions.

Throughout the literature of research on Dyslexia there have been some significant research done on the potential relationship between ADHD and persons with Dyslexia, however most of that research is looking more at co-morbidity and not suggesting interventions. Working Memory is similar and has a long history of being related to Dyslexia. Note that Working Memory and ADHD are also strongly correlated.

What I think is significant about any information involving the Executive Functions is that the deficit suggests a route to intervene. The interventions for the Executive Functions won't be reading strategies, but they would be routes to improve a student's focus, attention, and self-regulation. These skills could make the path to reading more accessible for a student who will learn differently than other students.

Etive Dysfunction could be a part of the picture in helping the person make gains in Reading. As I continue to look at this issue more over the coming years, I'll continue to update the blog here at Cascadia CCC with the ongoing research and developments. Executive Dysfunction could be a part of the picture in helping the person make gains in Reading. As I continue to look at this issue more over the coming years, I'll continue to update the blog here at Cascadia CCC with the ongoing research and developments.