Compare and contrast 2 theoretical accounts of developmental dyslexia Essay

Compare and contrast 2 theoretical accounts of developmental dyslexia - Essay Example The distinguishing traits of the condition include reading and writing difficulties. It is surmised that it spawns from sensory dysfunctions, and these have been thoroughly backed up by empirical research. However, the definitive cause of the condition is yet to be determined (Coleman, 2002). The disorder has frequently been hypothesized to be the result of various sensory malfunctions. After years of research, it has been indicated that dyslexia also has visual and writing aspects, making it a learning disability that debilitates optimized performance (Francks et al, 2002). This essay aims to compare the two theories of dyslexia at the biological, cognitive and behavioral levels. However, before undertaking this comparison, it is important to lay down the different theories that explain this condition. These are the phonological, the magnocellular (auditory and visual) and the cerebellar theories (Ramus et al, 2002). I shall attempt to compare the phonological and cerebellar theories of dyslexia. Ramus et al (2002) undertook a multiple case study to evaluate the key theories explaining the origin of dyslexia. The sample of the study was composed of 16 university students for the control group. They were given various tests to gauge dyslexic traits. The outcomes suggest that majority of the respondents had a phonological deficit and that this was enough cause for them to have dyslexia. That is, in contrast with the cerebellar theory that has auditory and visual deficits as requisites to dyslexia, the study points out that the presence of a phonological deficit alone defines the condition. The presence of auditory deficits only worsens the condition, but are not necessarily required for having dyslexia. These deficits result in â€Å"literacy impairments.† Moreover, the study did not reinforce that motor deficiencies are rooted on the cerebellum (Ramus et al, 2002). At the biological and cognitive levels, the phonological deficit theory