Aug 28

When the brain reorganizes… and reading becomes difficult

An integrative look at the origins of dyslexia

“He doesn’t understand what he reads.”
“She struggles so much with writing.”
“He confuses letters… but he’s very intelligent.”

Dyslexia shows up in the clinic, at school, at home.

And although it often presents itself as a school problem,
its roots are much deeper.

What if it wasn’t a reading problem… but a problem of brain organization?

A recent article published in Progress in Brain Research (Giraud et al., 2024) explores the genetic origins of dyslexia, showing how certain brain regions linked to language fail to develop efficient connectivity in many of these children—even when they have had rich early exposure to reading.

In other words: even when stimulation and experience are present, some areas simply don’t activate the way they should.

And what does the brain do when one area doesn’t activate?

Here comes into play the theory of brain reorganization…

The brain as a garden: when some areas invade the space of others

David Eagleman, neuroscientist and science communicator, uses a powerful metaphor:
the brain is like a garden in which every bit of space is put to use.

When one zone doesn’t receive enough input or connectivity,
neighboring areas invade that unclaimed territory.

It’s a form of biological efficiency, but also of compensation.

This explains, for example, why some blind individuals develop a visual cortex that processes sound or touch.

And in dyslexia—could something similar be happening?

Genetics… and plasticity?

The article by Giraud and collaborators points to a genetic predisposition.

But not an irreversible sentence.

From Hadders-Algra’s Neuronal Group Selection Theory, we know that:

  • Brain development is a combination of variability and functional selection.
  • Experiences shape connections… but only if the system is in a condition to integrate them.
  • Not all possible routes are consolidated: the ones that yield functional results are selected.

If phonological routes don’t activate effectively enough, the brain can reorganize toward more visual or motor pathways.

And this modifies overall connectivity, as neuroimaging studies also point out.

What does clinical practice tell us?

Patrick Quercia has been exploring dyslexia for years from a neurofunctional perspective.

His clinical studies, although not as widely published in high-impact journals, highlight an observable reality:

  • Alterations in posture, oculomotor control, and balance are frequent in children with dyslexia.
  • The vestibular and ocular systems modulate spatial attention, laterality, and visuomotor coordination.
  • Intervening through sensory and postural pathways can improve the nervous system’s readiness for reading.

And although his approach requires stronger scientific validation, its clinical correlation with what we observe in practice is evident.

Dyslexia is not just a problem with letters

It is a reflection of how the brain has—or has not—connected.

And it is also a call to professionals to:

  • Look beyond the academic.
  • Assess through sensoriality, posture, and hemispheric integration.
  • Intervene through neurosensory organization, and not only through phonological repetition.

Scientific References

  • Eagleman, D. (2020). Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain.
  • Hadders-Algra, M. (2010). Variability and stereotypy of general movements in infants. Early Human Development.
  • Quercia, P. (2021). Les troubles dys: une autre lecture, Éditions Quintessence.

At PIMT we believe that…

Reading is a complex function, and it requires a solid neurosensory foundation.

Before training reading, one must observe how the body organizes itself to process the world.

Because reading does not begin with letters…

It begins with the connection between body, movement, and perception.