Pervasive motor and balance difficulties in university students with dyslexia

Previous research suggests that dyslexic university students are unlikely to experience significant co-occurring motor or balance difficulties and may represent instances of ‘pure’ dyslexia. However, the motor and balance measures used in previous studies have been limited in scope. The primary aim of the present study was to capture a wider profile of the motor and balance difficulties experienced by dyslexic students. A group of 24 university students with dyslexia were matched on age and IQ to a group of 28 students without dyslexia. Both groups completed standardised tests of reading efficiency, IQ, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, as well as standardised motor and balance tests and a clinical procedure for primary reflex persistence. The dyslexia group had significant reading efficiency and inattention problems, as well as significantly more difficulties on specific tests of balance and primary reflex persistence. Regression analyses revealed that inattention, balance, and primary reflex persistence were unique predictors of reading efficiency. An individual profile analysis also revealed that 75% of the dyslexic students experienced at least one type of significant motor/balance difficulty (lowest 5 percentiles) relative to their peers. The findings suggest that levels of motor/balance problems in university students with dyslexia have been underestimated in previous research.