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The multiple deficit model of dyslexia: what does it mean for identification and intervention?

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Abstract

Research demonstrates that phonological skills provide the basis of reading acquisition and are a primary processing deficit in dyslexia. This consensus has led to the development of effective methods of reading intervention. However, a single phonological deficit is not sufficient to account for the heterogeneity of individuals with dyslexia, and recent research provides evidence that supports a multiple-deficit model of reading disorders. Two studies are presented that investigate (1) the prevalence of phonological and cognitive processing deficit profiles in children with significant reading disability and (2) the effects of those same phonological and cognitive processing skills on reading development in a sample of children that received treatment for dyslexia. The results are discussed in the context of implications for identification and an intervention approach that accommodates multiple deficits within a comprehensive skills-based reading program.

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Notes

  1. Marginal R2 for linear mixed models. See Nakagawa and Schielzeth (2013). Eq. 26.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, 2222 Welborn St, Dallas, TX, 75219, USA

    Jeremiah Ring & Jeffrey L. Black

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  1. Jeremiah Ring
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  2. Jeffrey L. Black
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Correspondence to Jeremiah Ring.

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Table 7 Multilevel-regression models used for individual prediction in Study 1
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Ring, J., Black, J.L. The multiple deficit model of dyslexia: what does it mean for identification and intervention?. Ann. of Dyslexia 68, 104–125 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-018-0157-y

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