Dyslexia and hyperlexia in bilinguals
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Advancing Dyslexia Assessment in Children Through Computerized Testing
Published on: August 16, 2024
R Malatesha Joshi1, Prakash Padakannaya, S Nishanimath
1Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA. mjoshi@tamu.edu
Abstract:
This study explores the nature of reading difficulties of two bilinguals in Kannada and English, which vary in their orthographic depth and script layout. VN and MS manifest two different types of reading disabilities, dyslexia and hyperlexia, respectively. The performance of VN was below average on Kannada and English tests of phonemic awareness, spelling, and pseudoword naming. Despite his poor decoding skills, the listening comprehension skill both at the word level and at the sentence level of VN was within the normal range. VN, therefore, can be described to have developmental dyslexia. MS, in contrast, showed good decoding ability in both Kannada and English, but his listening and reading comprehension were poor in both languages. MS, therefore, displays a pattern of reading disability akin to that of hyperlexia. The deficits of both VN and MS, although dissimilar from each other, cut across the linguistic boundaries and affect their performance in both Kannada and English.
Related Concept Videos
Language and Cognition
Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Lateralization
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Language Development
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Cerebral Hemispheres

