Predictive eye movements do not discriminate between dyslexic and control children

Pavlidis has suggested that predictive saccadic tracking eye movements distinguish between reading disabled and normal children. We have examined saccadic eye movement tracking in 34 dyslexic and 33 control subjects, between 10 and 12 yr old. The subjects were equivalent in performance IQ (WISC-R), with differences between verbal and performance IQ of less than 30 points. Children with neurological, visual or auditory deficits or histories of emotional problems and hyperactivity were excluded. There were no differences between the groups on the eye movement tracking task when scored objectively by computerized analysis of the eye movement records, or by ranking of the records by an experienced observer. Our results (and those of other recent studies) fail to support Pavlidis' contention that eye movements hold the key to dyslexia.