ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the evidence for the role of biological factors. It suggests that genetic factors can give rise to differences between children in reading achievement and they must affect reading acquisition indirectly through some effect on brain function. In fact, there is evidence showing that retarded readers sometimes differ from normal readers in certain aspects of brain function. There is evidence indicating that left hemisphere deficiencies may have a role in specific reading retardation. A fascinating study by some medical researchers, Daniel Hier, Le May, Rosenberger and Perlo, examined the brains of retarded readers directly using the newly developed technique of computerised brain tomography. Visual inspection of the electroencephalograph (EEG) can sometimes also be used to detect damage to the brain, as when there is a tumour, but unfortunately it cannot detect such brain damage with great reliability.
