Smith-Spark, J. 1 , Henry, L. 2 , Messer, D. 3 , Edvardsdottir, E. 1 & Ziecik, A. 1
1 London South Bank University, UK
2 City University, UK
3 Open University, UK
Dyslexia-related executive functioning (EF) difficulties are well explored in children but have not been so thoroughly considered in adults. Self-report and laboratory-based measures of EF were taken from the same sample of 30 adults with dyslexia and 30 IQ-matched adults without dyslexia. Adults with dyslexia viewed themselves as having experienced significantly more problems with EF in everyday life over the past month than adults without dyslexia. These problems were focused specifically on metacognitive aspects of EF (working memory, planning, task monitoring, and organization) rather than on the regulation of emotion and behaviour. The adults with dyslexia also showed significant difficulties across a range of computerized and pen-and-paper tests of EF, being poorer at updating (measured by executive-loaded measures of working memory), inhibition, and set shifting. Problems with EF were, therefore, perceived to affect the everyday lives of adults with dyslexia and these self-identified difficulties were supported by poorer performance across a range of different laboratory measures of EF. The findings highlight the need for EF problems to be addressed in remediation programmes, as well as reading and writing difficulties. Support should be provided for EFs from childhood onwards to ensure the best life chances for individuals with dyslexia.