Research Symposium

BIO

I'm a first-year student majoring in psychology. My plans for the future include a PhD in either developmental or clinical psychology. I'm originally from Orlando, where I worked with children and developed a desire to find a career where I could help them. I'm currently minoring in child development as well for that purpose.

Identifying Dyslexia: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Dyslexia is widely prevalent. Hundreds of millions of people around the world receive a diagnosis. While thousands of researchers have conducted studies to learn more about it, whether they focus on the gender gap among childhood dyslexia diagnoses or the most helpful accommodations available to dyslexic students at school, results vary widely. This is especially the case when it comes to dyslexia predictors. The existing literature is ample. Yet, results are scattered. There is no one measure or indicator for dyslexia. This meta-analysis intends to compile and analyze thousands of studies to find the best measures to predict dyslexia.

Our search revealed over 3000 studies. We have screened the abstracts. Our next step is full-text screening, which will unveil more specific information and allow us to extract data from the studies that meet the inclusion criteria.

Although the project is not over, the results will certainly be important. They could lead to better screening practices at school for students with potential dyslexia, more observant parents at home, and more cognizant adults with dyslexia themselves. Once the meta-analysis is finalized, it could also inspire more general research on dyslexia, investigating questions the meta-analysis didn't address. For instance, one element we didn't analyze was culture. Perceptions of dyslexia can undoubtedly be affected by culture, and they can thereby impact the educational system. This is only one example. This meta-analysis can inspire more research and innovation on this subject.

Keywords: Dyslexia. Meta-Analysis. Predictors.