Behaviour problems and their relationship to reading difficulty

Abstract

ABSTRACTAn investigation into the relationship between reading difficulty and maladjustment indicated that a significantly greater number of backward readers than normal readers were antisocial. The higher incidence of maladjustment was found in those backward readers with perceptual motor problems. The backward readers were also significantly more restless and uncontrolled in their behaviour. The relationship of restless hyperactive behaviour with perceptual motor difficulties is associated with an inability by the backward reader to ignore distracting stimuli and focus upon relevant perceptual information. As the restless hyperactive behaviour was present from an early age but the antisocial behaviour did not develop until he or she was experiencing difficulty with reading, it is probable that the backward reader's poor concentration and impulsive behaviour contribute both to the reading difficulty and to the development of antisocial tendencies.