Speech Perception in Children With Specific Reading Difficulties (Dyslexia)

William Yule's many contributions to the field of reading disabilities over the last 40 years are reviewed and set in the context of recent research evidence. The value of regression methods in the measurement of reading performance remains valid, but spelling, as well as reading, difficulties need to be assessed in relation to the diagnosis of dyslexia. Although categorical approaches to diagnosis are needed for some purposes, it is likely that the genetic liability to dyslexia is dimensional. Overall, Yule's identification of the key features of specific reading retardation have been confirmed by subsequent research, but the concept of general reading backwardness as a diagnosis has proved less meaningful. The identification of the high rate of comorbidity between reading disability and emotional/behavioural disturbance, highlighted by Yule 35 years ago, has been amply confirmed but the causal mechanisms remain ill-understood.

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Effects of replicating primary-reflex movements on specific reading difficulties in children: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial

The Lancet ◽

10.1016/s0140-6736(99)02179-0 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 355 (9203) ◽

pp. 537-541 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

M McPhillips ◽

PG Hepper ◽

G Mulhern

Keyword(s):

Controlled Trial ◽

Reading Difficulties ◽

Double Blind ◽

Specific Reading

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The assessment of children with specific reading difficulties (dyslexia) using the British Ability Scales

British Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1111/j.2044-8295.1982.tb01828.x ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 73 (4) ◽

pp. 461-478 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

M. E. Thomson

Keyword(s):

Reading Difficulties ◽

Specific Reading

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Specific Reading Difficulties in Chinese, English, or Both

Journal of Learning Disabilities ◽

10.1177/0022219411400748 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 45 (6) ◽

pp. 503-514 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Catherine McBride-Chang ◽

Phil D. Liu ◽

Terry Wong ◽

Anita Wong ◽

Hua Shu

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Reading Difficulties ◽

Control Sample ◽

The Other ◽

Chinese Children ◽

Hong Kong Chinese ◽

Poor Readers ◽

Specific Reading ◽

Hong Kong Chinese Children ◽

Education Levels

What are the longitudinal cognitive profiles of Hong Kong Chinese children with specific reading difficulties in Chinese only, in English only, or both? A total of 16 poor readers each of Chinese (PC) and English (PE) and 8 poor readers of both orthographies (PB) were compared to a control sample (C) of 16 children; all were drawn from a statistically representative sample of 154 Hong Kong Chinese children tested at ages 5 to 9 years. PE and PB children’s mothers had lower education levels than did the other groups. With children’s ages and mothers’ education levels statistically controlled, the PE, PC, and PB groups were significantly lower than the C group on phonological awareness. The PB and PE groups also scored significantly lower than the others on English vocabulary across years, whereas the PC and PB groups were significantly poorer than the C and PE groups on morphological awareness across years. Finally, the PB group was significantly slower than the other groups on speed naming at every age tested, underscoring the potential importance of automaticity in reading across orthographies. Findings highlight the need to consider the issue of how to identify reading difficulties in a second language.

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Dyslexia as a Phonological Deficit: Evidence and Implications

Child Psychology and Psychiatry Review ◽

10.1017/s1360641797001366 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 4-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

Margaret Snowling

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Phonological Processing ◽

Early Identification ◽

Normal Development ◽

Reading Difficulties ◽

Reading Failure ◽

Phonological Deficit ◽

Reading Deficits ◽

Specific Reading ◽

Definition Of

In recent years, limitations of the discrepancy definition of specific reading difficulties have led researchers to propose that dyslexia is best described as a core phonological deficit. With studies of the normal development of reading as a backdrop, this paper reviews the phonological processing deficit hypothesis of dyslexia. The extant evidence suggests that phonological difficulties in dyslexia persist throughout development from the preschool years into adulthood, despite compensation of reading deficits. Moreover, individual differences in the behavioural manifestation of dyslexia are consistent with differences in the severity of underlying phonological difficulties. Implications for the early identification of dyslexia and for interventions to prevent reading failure are discussed.

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