For years, we’ve heard it echoed in classrooms, research papers, and even across dinner tables: “The dyslexic brain is different.” It’s a tidy statement that carries much weight—and even more misunderstanding. Brain scans, fMRI images, and neuroscience papers show that individuals with dyslexia have “abnormal” brain activity during reading tasks. But is this evidence of a disorder written into the neural code from birth—or is it the result of a reading journey that unfolded differently?
Let’s break it down. Are brain differences in dyslexia truly a myth? Or are they simply being misinterpreted?
The brain-first narrative
Neuroscience has long played a starring role in shaping how we talk about dyslexia. A wave of brain imaging studies has revealed consistent patterns in people diagnosed with dyslexia. Among the most cited findings:
- Underactivation in the left occipitotemporal region, particularly the visual word form area—a region vital for rapid word recognition.
- Disruptions in the left inferior parietal lobule and inferior frontal gyrus—areas involved in phonological processing and articulatory rehearsal.
These patterns have been widely interpreted to mean that the brains of dyslexic readers are somehow deficient or malfunctioning. It’s the classic cause-and-effect assumption: if a part of the brain isn’t lighting up as it should during reading, that must be the root of the reading problem.
But as any good scientist—or even a suspicious toddler—will tell you, correlation is not causation.
Why that assumption is flawed
It’s tempting to believe that brain differences cause dyslexia. It offers a clear, tangible explanation. But there’s a growing body of research challenging this view.
What if the brain differences aren’t the cause of reading struggles but rather the result of them?
After all, the brain is not a static organ. It’s not a blueprint that gets photocopied at birth. It’s dynamic and constantly shaped by experience, learning, and environment. This is the core principle of neuroplasticity—and it changes the dyslexia conversation entirely.
Reading changes the brain
Enter the landmark work by Skeide et al. (2017). In this study, a group of illiterate adults in India were taught to read for the first time. After just six months, their brain scans showed dramatic changes—not only in the visual word form area but deep in the thalamus and brainstem, regions not traditionally associated with reading.
Let’s pause here. These were adults, far past the so-called “critical period” for brain development. And yet, their brains reorganized in response to reading instruction.
This study echoed other examples of brain malleability, like the famous case of London taxi drivers developing larger hippocampi (the brain’s spatial memory HQ) after years of navigating the city’s labyrinthine streets.
So what’s the takeaway? The brain reflects what we do—not just who we are.
Krafnick et al. (2014): The game-changer
Possibly the most elegant challenge to the “brain-first” model of dyslexia came from Krafnick and colleagues in 2014. Their study compared three groups:
- Children diagnosed with dyslexia
- Age-matched typical readers
- Younger typical readers matched by reading level to the dyslexic group
Now, here’s the kicker: if dyslexia were caused by an intrinsic brain abnormality, then the dyslexic group’s brains should have looked different from both comparison groups.
But that didn’t happen.
The brains of the dyslexic children looked just like the brains of the younger, reading-level-matched children. In other words, their brains resembled their reading experience, not their age or diagnosis.
This strongly suggests that the so-called “brain differences” are developmental responses to reading failure—not neurological disorders in and of themselves.
So… Are brain differences a myth?
No. The brains of people with dyslexia do look different, particularly when performing reading tasks.
But the myth is in how we interpret those differences. The real misconception is the idea that these differences are:
- Fixed (unchangeable)
- Innate (present from birth)
- Causal (responsible for the problem)
Instead, research shows they are often fluid, experience-dependent, and responsive to intervention.
This is a shift as radical as it is hopeful. Because if brain differences are the result of reading struggles, then those differences can be changed.
Implications for education
The implications for how we teach and support struggling readers are enormous.
If we cling to the belief that dyslexia is a hardwired brain disorder, we might:
- Delay intervention, assuming that nothing will help.
- Overemphasize accommodations (like audiobooks or extra time) rather than focusing on direct instruction.
- Undermine children’s self-belief, convincing them their brain is broken or defective.
But if we embrace the brain’s adaptability, then we:
- Focus on early, intensive, and effective reading instruction.
- Recognize that neural systems can be reshaped—even in adulthood.
- Send a message of hope, not limitation.
As Protopapas and Parrila (2018) wrote, “Reading failure leads to brain changes — not always the other way around.”
What the science says now
Here’s a roundup of what modern research tells us:
- “Reading experience, not dyslexia diagnosis, explains brain differences.”
— Krafnick et al., 2014 - “Neuroplasticity can reorganize brain systems into adulthood.”
— Skeide et al., 2017 - “Dyslexia-related differences reflect reading history, not hardwired deficits.”
— Protopapas & Parrila, 2018
This emerging consensus doesn’t deny that dyslexia is real or serious. Rather, it reframes it—not as a life sentence handed down by faulty brain wiring, but as a condition shaped by experience and open to change.
Final thought
Let’s be clear: Dyslexia isn’t imaginary. It’s not just a motivational problem, and it certainly isn’t cured by wishful thinking. It’s a persistent reading difficulty with a strong developmental basis.
But if we want to serve learners well, we need to be precise—and hopeful—in how we talk about it.
So instead of saying, “Your brain is different, and that’s why you struggle,” we might say:
“Your brain reflects your reading experiences — and with the right support, it can change.”
Because when it comes to the dyslexic brain, the real story isn’t about damage. It’s about potential.
Edublox offers cognitive training and live online tutoring to students with dylexia and other learning difficulties. Our students are in the United States, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere. Book a free consultation to discuss your child’s learning needs and learn more below:
🧾 References for Are Brain Differences in Dyslexia a Myth—or Just Misunderstood?
- Elliott, J. G., & Grigorenko, E. L. (2014). The dyslexia debate. Cambridge University Press.
- Krafnick, A. J., Flowers, D. L., Luetje, M. M., Napoliello, E. M., & Eden, G. F. (2014). An investigation into the origin of anatomical differences in dyslexia. The Journal of Neuroscience, 34(3), 901–908.
- Protopapas, A., & Parrila, R. (2018). Is dyslexia a brain disorder? Brain Sciences, 8(4), 61.
- Skeide, M. A., Kraft, I., Müller, B., Schaadt, G., Neef, N. E., Brauer, J., & Friederici, A. D. (2017). Learning to read alters cortico-subcortical cross-talk in the visual system of illiterates. Science Advances, 3(5), e1602612.
Are Brain Differences in Dyslexia a Myth—or Just Misunderstood? was authored by Sue du Plessis (B.A. Hons Psychology; B.D.), an educational and reading specialist with 30+ years of experience in the learning disabilities field.
