Dyslexia is characterized by a difficulty in developing
reading skills despite adequate instruction and intellectual ability. Also,
socio-emotional control difficulties are associated with dyslexia. Despite
extensive research, there remains little consensus on the neuro-cognitive
underpinnings of dyslexia and associated behaviors. Executive function
(EF) is a candidate factor for explaining both reading and socio-emotional
difficulties in dyslexia. Addressing methodological issues from previous
EF profiling studies, this study aims to (1) examine EF in dyslexia using
Miyake’s 3 factor model, and (2) examine the predictive relationship of
EF with reading and socio-emotional control difficulties in dyslexia. Fifty
five children (27 dyslexia, 28 control) aged 10-12 years completed a battery
of executive function (inhibition, updating, and switching), reading
and socio-emotional (parent rating scale) measures. Children with dyslexia
made significantly more errors compared to controls on all measures of
executive function (inhibition: F(1,52)=6.78, p<.05; updating: F(1,53)=20.54,
p<.001; and switching F(1,53)=11.57, p<.01), reading ability (F(1,53)=64.46,
p<.001) and socio-emotional behaviour (U=132.5, p<.001). Switching ability
predicted severity of reading impairment in dyslexia (R2 =.47, p<.001),
while inhibition predicted severity of social control problems in dyslexia
(R2 =.28, p=<.01). Results suggest that EF may be implicated in the symptom
expression of dyslexia and may be a candidate cognitive training intervention
for children with dyslexia