Phonological decoding skill in braille readers: implications for dyslexia

Highly developed phonological decoding ability is essential for leveraging the phonological decoding self-teaching loop to efficiently build a reading lexicon. In the present study we compared the phonological decoding abilities of blind braille-reading (n = 29) and sighted print-reading (n = 22) adults to investigate the possibility that braille’s complexity reduces instances of successful decoding and self-teaching. Such a disturbance of the learning loop would amplify any underlying cognitive deficits in braille readers and contribute to the high rates of learning disability diagnosis observed in blind children. Contrary to expectations, we found braille readers outperformed print readers on a measure of phonological decoding. The finding suggests that factors other than script, such as a lack of exposure to environmental print and high rates of preterm birth in children born blind, contribute to the prevalence of dyslexia in blind children.