BBC Inside Out

BBC Inside Out<br /><br />15 May 2014 Out South West: Monday February 21, 2005DYSLEXIAProblems with reading? Could it be Dyslexia?Some people find reading very difficult, if not nigh on impossible.<br /><br />For many of these it isnt a matter of intelligence or having not received adequate schooling it is because they are dyslexic.<br /><br />However getting diagnosed as dyslexic can be difficult, and at the moment it is a far from an exact science.<br /><br />The tests for dyslexia involve judging whether a persons reading ability compares with their other abilities for their age and intelligence.<br /><br />Once intellectual, emotional and cultural causes have been ruled out, those facing reading difficulties are often thought of as having dyslexia.<br /><br />Some experts now believe it might be possible to develop a physical test to diagnose dyslexia more positively.<br /><br />Eye tracking<br /><br />Steve Walkden believes eye tracking could help diagnose dyslexiaSteve Walkden, a student at Plymouth University, is aiming to see if tracking eye movements will show discrepancies between the way dyslexics and non dyslexics view a page.<br /><br />It is known that dyslexics have problems controlling their eye movements.<br /><br />This is thought to indicate that they process visual information in a very different way from non dyslexics.<br /><br />Steve is hoping that his research will uncover unique patterns of eye movement in dyslexics.<br /><br />These patterns can then be compared to the eye movements of others who have difficulty reading to see if their problems are a result of dyslexia.<br /><br />Being able to use such a tool to give a firm diagnosis at an early age could help thousands of children.