Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this tutorial is to discuss the language basis of dyslexia in the context of developmental language disorders (DLDs). Whereas most studies have focused on the phonological skills of children with dyslexia, we bring attention to broader language skills.MethodWe conducted a focused literature review on the language basis of dyslexia from historical and theoretical perspectives with a special emphasis on the relation between dyslexia and DLD and on the development of broader language skills (e.g., vocabulary, syntax, and discourse) before and after the identification of dyslexia.ResultsWe present clinically relevant information on the history of dyslexia as a language-based disorder, the operational definitions used to diagnose dyslexia in research and practice, the relation between dyslexia and DLD, and the language abilities of children with dyslexia.ConclusionsWe discuss 3 clinical implications for working with children with dyslexia in school settings: (a) Children with dyslexia—with and without comorbid DLDs—often have language deficits outside the phonological domain; (b) intervention should target a child's strengths and weaknesses relative to reading outcomes, regardless of diagnostic labels; and (c) those who have dyslexia, regardless of language abilities at the time of diagnosis, may be at risk for slower language acquisition across their lifetime. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess multiple language skills early, at the time of the diagnosis of dyslexia, and years later to better understand the complex development of language and reading in children with dyslexia.
Highlights
The purpose of this tutorial is to discuss the language basis of dyslexia in the context of developmental language disorders (DLDs)
Dyslexia is defined as a difficulty with word level reading and spelling skills, which are in turn caused by phonological deficits
They found that 55% of children with dyslexia could be classified as having DLD, and 51% of children with DLD could be classified as having dyslexia
Summary
Purpose: The purpose of this tutorial is to discuss the language basis of dyslexia in the context of developmental language disorders (DLDs). In a 1989 article entitled “Defining Dyslexia as a Language Based Disorder,” Hugh Catts stated, “Dyslexia is a developmental language disorder that involves a deficit(s) in phonological processing. This disorder manifests itself in various phonological difficulties as well as a specific reading disability” Many studies have reported that, in addition to phonological deficits, children with dyslexia have weaknesses in other aspects of language including vocabulary, morphology, syntax, and discourse, often before the onset of formal reading instruction (e.g., Catts, Fey, Zhang, & Tomblin, 1999; Scarborough, 1990; Snowling, Gallagher, & Frith, 2003). Onset is important because reading difficulties can themselves cause slower language development, as much of language is learned via reading experience (Cunningham & Stanovich, 1997; Huettig, Lachmann, Reis, & Petersson, 2017)
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