Studies Show Dyslexia Doesn't Just Affect Reading, Language

[healthy11]

"Dyslexia is not just about reading, or even language. It’s about something more fundamental: How much can the brain adapt to what it has just observed? People with dyslexia typically have less brain plasticity than those without dyslexia, two recent studies have found....people with dyslexia more quickly forget recent events. This type of memory is called incidental or implicit memory, and includes anything you didn't know you needed to remember when it happened. Because of how quickly their implicit memory fades, dyslexics' brains don't adapt as much after reading or hearing something repeatedly—which is perhaps why it is harder for their brains to process the words they read...."

It's worth reading the full article, that gives more insight into results of two separate research studies that came up with similar findings:
www.mentalfloss.com/article/93670/dyslexia-doesnt-work-way-we-thought-it-did

[shawbridge]

Hard to know from one data point, but this really does not match ShawSon. If he hears something once, he understands and incorporates. He also used to be able to repeat back paragraphs he had heard verbatim, much to the embarrassment of ShawWife when she reprimanded him for not listening to a guide in Japan or her. He also can listen to an audio book and do math homework or other cognitive tasks. We switched him to homeschooling in math and English after his freshman year. He was in honors freshman math and said to me, "Dad, we discuss the idea on Monday. I've got it on Monday. We're still doing it on Friday. I'm dying in here. You've got to get me out." And this is the honors math in what is thought to be one of the 10 best high schools in the state of Massachusetts, which is thought to have some of the best public (and private) schools in the country.

[healthy11]

I can't speak for everyone, but my son definitely "fits" the profile of the people in the studies, with a poor memory. Then again, although my son is highly gifted, he also has dyslexia, dysgraphia, and moderate ADHD. I wonder how much of his weaker memory issues may be related to ADHD, versus his dyslexia? It would be interesting to know if the authors of the studies chose their participants based on having been identified with dyslexia alone, or if they also had comorbid diagnoses?