engleski

Spatial and temporal measurements of eye movement in children with dyslexia: individual differences

Eye-tracking is a relatively new method in reading studies. The method allows for researching two crucial levels underlying reading: visual and cognitive. Reading research using eye-tracking brought about three main approaches to reading: minimal-control view, visual/oculomotor control view and recent, cognitive-control view. These approaches vary in their understanding of the relationship between eye movement and linguistic processing of the text: - in minimal-control view there is no relationship ; - in visual/oculomotor control view eye movement is only indirectly relates to linguistic processing ; - in cognitive-control view linguistic processing of the text determines the eye movement. The aim of this paper is to show the differences in eye movements of three children with dyslexia using the principles of cognitive-control view. The collateral aim is to develop methodology to use eye-tracking technique to dissociate between various subgroups of dyslexia. Namely, despite well known definitions and vast literature on dyslexia, manifestations of dyslexia on the individual level are highly varied. All three children were tested behaviorally using set of language tests for language behavior assessment. Two children had low scores on most language tests, and all three children had poor level of reading and writing. Using SMI`s iView X Hi-Speed eye-tracking system all children had to read a text silently while the device recorded the eye movements, i.e. fixations (number, position, duration) and saccades (number, speed, magnitude). Spatial and temporal features of reading were obtained using these data: perceptual span, gaze durations, total viewing time, etc. Although all three children have the same diagnose – dyslexia, analysis of their eye movements during reading shows different saccade-fixation patterns. The differences were obtained on a number of variables: number and length of fixations and number of regressive (or back) saccades. The results are compared with the results obtained in the group of typically developing children who show a clear pattern of efficient reading.

eye movement; fixation; saccades; children with dyslexia

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