Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Although there is general consensus that reading ability is distributed normally throughout the population, the question of whether there are subtypes of reading disability has been investigated numerous times. This article provides a current perspective. Related to the issue of how dyslexia is defined is the matter of how children should be identified for remedial services.
Current law specifies a discrepancy between aptitude and achievement.
That is, only those children who have a reading difficulty that is markedly lower than their apparent intellectual ability meet the criteria for a reading disability. However, as the study listed here reports, research fails to confirm differences in the cognitive profiles of children who do and do not meet discrepancy criteria , raising questions about the merit of the discrepancy procedure for determining who receives remedial services. Toward a definition of dyslexia. The rationale for a current definition is presented. Oxford University Press.