This is not my area, but I did a little research and found a few things:
Silverman (2000) has an interesting article discussing children who are gifted but also have a learning disability. The article makes a number of interesting points about how other skills are often developed in order to compensate for a given disability (e.g., like how people who are vision impaired are better able to use their remaining senses).
In relation to dyslexia, Silverman summarises the work of Ron Davis. Specifically, Silverman stated that:
Ron Davis (1994), in The Gift of Dyslexia, describes the benefits of
dyslexia. He lists the basic abilities that all dyslexics share:
- They can utilize the brain’s ability to alter and create perceptions (the primary ability).
- They are highly aware of the environment.
- They are more curious than average.
- They think mainly in pictures instead of words.
- They are highly intuitive and insightful.
- They think and perceive multi-dimensionally (using all the senses).
- They can experience thought as reality.
- They have vivid imaginations. (p. 5)
That said, I haven't read the book, and I'm unclear on the degree of empirical support for these claims.
- Davis, R. D. (with E. M. Braun). (1994). The gift of dyslexia. Burlingame, CA:
Ability Workshop Press.
- Silverman, L. (2000). The two-edged sword of compensation: How the
gifted cope with learning disabilities. In Uniquely gifted: Identifying
and meeting the needs of twice exceptional learners, pages 153-159. FREE PDF