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Monitoring dyslexics' intelligence and attainments: A follow‐up study
Author(s) -
Thomson Michael
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
dyslexia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.694
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1099-0909
pISSN - 1076-9242
DOI - 10.1002/dys.232
Subject(s) - psychology , spelling , dyslexia , wechsler intelligence scale for children , wechsler adult intelligence scale , developmental psychology , reading (process) , intelligence quotient , wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence , context (archaeology) , cognition , cognitive psychology , linguistics , paleontology , philosophy , neuroscience , biology
Intelligence (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children R and III, 1992) and written language attainment (BAS Word Reading, Neale Analysis of Reading, Vernon Graded Word Spelling) data for around 250 children attending a specialist school for dyslexics are presented. The Wechsler scales data show some evidence for ‘ACID’ and ‘SCAD’ profile effects on the subtests, with specifically weak Index scores on Freedom from Distractibility and Processing Speed. The relationship between intelligence and reading development is also examined, with evidence for significant correlations between intelligence and written language and a longitudinal study showing that there is no ‘Matthew’ or drop‐off effect in intelligence. The attainments tests demonstrate that the widening gap between a dyslexic's chronological age and his/her attainments can be closed, and how attainments may be monitored within the context of ‘growth curves’. The results are discussed in relation to recent reports (e.g. B.P.S. on Dyslexia, Literacy and Psychological Assessment) on the relationship between intelligence and attainments and it is concluded that this report could be seriously misleading for practising educational psychologists. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.