Learning disability and cognitive neuropsychology

Abstract

Cognitive neuropsychology is a discipline that assumes that cognitive processes do have a modular organization. Regarding reading, access to meaning is based on two groups of processes that are considered independent and that compete to each other to give an answer. Some of these modules are specialize in global recognition of words,. They are known as lexical route and basically allow us to read familiar words. A second group of modules, are specialized in converting small pieces of orthography to phonology. These modules are known as sublexical route and allow us to read regular words, that is words with shallow correspondences between orthography and sound. The selective compromise of each one of these mechanisms allows to describe and to understand the two most frequent subtypes of learning disabilities of reading and aids to plan the intervention strategies.