Date of Award

1991

Publication Type

Doctoral Thesis

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Psychology, Experimental.

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

In a series of four studies using data from a longitudinal investigation and a clinic database, the neuropsychological characteristics of normal and disabled reader groups were compared and contrasted and the predictive validity of 5 neuropsychological factors in determining later reading achievement was investigated. As expected, the performance of the disabled reader groups was significantly below that of the normal reader group; however, differences between the school and clinic samples of disabled readers were also observed. Disabled readers in the clinic sample were more impaired, overall, than either the normal or disabled readers from the school sample. The best predictor for later reading achievement proved to be the Complex Language/Semantic-Acoustic factor for the normal reader group at each age tested. For the disabled reader group, however, the results were more variable. At the younger (7-8 years) age, the best predictors were the Complex Motor and Visual-Spatial factors. By 9-10 years of age, the best predictors changed to the Simple Language/Word Knowledge and Complex Language factors. Nevertheless, at the older ages (10-12 years), a combination of the Complex Motor, Visual-Spatial, Simple Language, and Complex Language factors proved to be the best predictor for reading outcome. The results of the predictive validity study using children in the school sample were partially confirmed in the cross-validation study using a clinic-referred sample of disabled readers. The Complex Language factor emerged as the best predictor (concurrently) of reading achievement for disabled readers at the older (11-13 years) age. Disabled readers from the school and clinic samples were classified into subtypes identified in the literature on the basis of their neuropsychological test performances. As expected, the majority of disabled readers were found to have characteristics resembling children with a basic phonological processing disorder. However, the samples were not homogeneous and other subtypes including those characterized by word-finding, visual-perceptual, and "mixed" deficits were also in evidence. The results were discussed with respect to theory and research on the prediction and remediation of reading disabilities, with suggestions for future research in this area.Dept. of Psychology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1992 .L639. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-12, Section: B, page: 6592. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1991.

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