Children at Familial Risk of Dyslexia: Practical Implications from an At-Risk Study
Posted by Callier Library on January 25, 2008
from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health
A longitudinal study was conducted of 50 at-risk poor readers who were seen at four assessment points between the ages of three years and nine months and 12–13 years. This provided a wealth of data about the incidence of reading problems, the course of developmental relationships among language and literacy skills and the factors that influence outcome (including risk and protective factors and co-morbid difficulties). The practical implications of this study are considered for the management of poor readers; including identifying children at-risk of dyslexia, assessing and teaching poor readers, addressing co-occurring difficulties, capitalising on compensatory or protective factors and providing emotional support.
• The link between early language and phonology and later reading ability suggests that it is possible to screen for dyslexia in children as young as five
• Assessment of the poor reader needs to reflect the multidimensional nature of literacy skills and its underlying phonological basis
• Assessing language, maths, attention and visuo-spatial difficulties is essential for detecting co-occurring difficulties common in children with dyslexia
• Additional literacy support needs to address the core phonological and decoding problems experienced by children with dyslexia
• Recognising and promoting the development of compensatory strategies may help to improve the outcome for many children with dyslexia
