Developmental dyslexia and culture: the impact of writing system and orthography

Developmental dyslexia is recognized worldwide. However, there are cultural differences between countries in dyslexia-related issues, including assessment practices and intervention. Language and orthography are essential cultural factors that influence both literacy acquisition and the possible manifestation of developmental dyslexia. These differences in orthographies impose different culturally specific demands on cognitive processes involved in reading acquisition and performance. This special issue focuses on the current research on different writing systems and orthographies and on the theoretical perspectives arising from findings from different orthographies. Thereby, the impact of writing systems and orthographies (e.g., English, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Bahasa Melayu/Malaysian and braille script) on unimpaired and impaired reading acquisition is considered with regard to the following literacy-relevant issues: (1) the assessment of reading skills and reading-relevant cognitive functions, (2) neurobiological findings and (3) intervention. The findings and theoretical perspectives are discussed within the Multiple-level Framework of Developmental Dyslexia, which is described in detail in a contribution of the special issue.