This study investigated the relationship among working memory, processing speed, math performance, and reactivity to stress in 83 Grade 1 children. Specifically, 39 children with math disability (MD) were compared to 44 children who are typically achieving (TA) in mathematics. It is the first study to use a physiological index of stress (salivary…

The double-deficit hypothesis of developmental dyslexia proposes that deficits in phonological processing and naming speed represent independent sources of dysfunction in dyslexia. The present article is a review of the evidence for the double-deficit hypothesis, including a discussion of recent findings related to the hypothesis. Studies in this…

This study presents a longitudinal examination of the development of reading and reading-related skills of 22 Grade 4 children identified as having reading disabilities (RD) who had been followed since kindergarten. The analyses were conducted to investigate the patterns of emergence of RD as well as reading ability and risk status across the 5…

This commentary reviews some of the issues involved in the definition of reading disability and demonstrates how definitions can influence the conclusions reached by a review. In particular, the discrepancy definition of reading disability is shown to be logically flawed. Data from a large unbiased sample show that there are no significant…

A study examined the role of intelligence in the definition of reading disabilities in languages with different orthographic systems. The study included 94 Spanish children and 157 English-speaking Canadian children and found significant differences between the languages when reading performances was analyzed as a function of verbal IQ scores.…

Data from 143 children with reading disabilities (RD), 100 with arithmetic disabilities (AD), and 121 controls (ages 6-16) found the RD and AD groups had significantly lower scores on all verbal IQ subtests. Many also showed significant differences between verbal and performance IQ scores, but so did many controls. (Contains references.)…

This study evaluated the effect of sound-symbol association training on visual and phonological memory in children (n=24) with a history of dyslexia. Comparison with controls matched for either age or reading level found children with dyslexia or whose dyslexia had been compensated demonstrated a variety of visual and phonological memory deficits,…

Reviews definitional issues of learning disabilities in the context of the Guckenberger v. Boston University federal lawsuit. Four major questions are addressed: (1) Who is learning disabled?; (2) How should learning disabilities be assessed?; (3) Who is qualified to decide whether or not an individual has a learning disability?; and (4) What…

All available suicide notes (N=27) from 267 consecutive adolescent suicides were analyzed for spelling and handwriting errors and then dictated to adolescents with and without LD. Results indicated that 89% of the 27 adolescents who had committed suicide had significant deficits in spelling and handwriting similar to those of other adolescents…

In response to a previous article, the paper stresses that, in addition to theory development, the field of learning disabilities needs to resolve definitional issues involving disability specificity, intelligence, measurement concepts, and the continua of abilities. Suggestions for developing operational definitions of both learning disabilities…

This study found that 331 Toronto (Ontario, Canada) adolescent and adult subjects with learning disabilities could be grouped into three subtypes: (1) arithmetic disability, (2) reading disability, and (3) reading and arithmetic disabilities. Each group differed significantly from the others on tests of reading, spelling, memory, and other…

This article draws upon evidence from letters, prose, poetry, and biographies of William Butler Yeats and concludes that this nineteenth-century poet probably suffered from dyslexia. (DB)

This study of 1,657 children (ages 7-16) found that although children with dyslexia had higher intelligence quotient scores than poor readers, the 2 groups did not differ in performance on reading, spelling, phonological processing, or most language and memory tasks. The performance of both reading-disabled groups was significantly below that of…

Use of the discrepancy approach in defining learning disabilities is challenged, as intelligence tests do not measure potential, are not independent from what is measured by achievement tests, and are not powerful predictors of low reading performance. Use of intelligence tests in analysis, identification, and definition of learning disabilities…

Issues raised in responses to Linda Siegel's paper (EC221505) on the relationship between intelligence test scores and learning disabilities are addressed. Discussed are the nature of intelligence, classification of learning disabilities by discrepancy between intelligence test scores and achievement scores, the existence of learning disabilities,…