Motor skills, automaticity and developmental dyslexia: A review of the research literature

This paper reviews a body of prominent theories of automaticity in developmental dyslexia. The first part of the review considers the relationship between dyslexia and rapid automatic naming and fluency. Additional theoretical and empirical advances are suggested to this already strong research base. In particular, there is a need is for experimental work elucidating the nature of naming speed deficits and providing independent evidence of the automaticity of rapid naming. The second part of the review considers evidence for deficits in motor automaticity in dyslexic children. Here, a more mixed pattern of results is evident. It is concluded that there is currently clearer evidence for language-based than motor-based automaticity deficits. Future motor automaticity research is likely to require the routine screening of poor readers for common co-occurring developmental difficulties, improved sampling and prospective longitudinal studies.