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Predicting Dyslexia at Age 11 from a Risk Index Questionnaire at Age 5
Author(s) -
Helland Turid,
Plante Elena,
Hugdahl Kenneth
Publication year - 2011
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.432
Subject(s) - dyslexia , psychology , developmental psychology , heredity , learning disability , literacy , clinical psychology , reading (process) , pedagogy , political science , law , genetics , biology
This study focused on predicting dyslexia in children ahead of formal literacy training. Because dyslexia is a constitutional impairment, risk factors should be seen in preschool. It was hypothesized that data gathered at age 5 using questions targeting the dyslexia endophenotype should be reliable and valid predictors of dyslexia at age 11. A questionnaire was given to caretakers of 120 5‐year‐old children, and a risk index score was calculated based on questions regarding health, laterality, motor skills, language, special needs education and heredity. An at‐risk group ( n = 25) and matched controls ( n = 24) were followed until age 11, when a similar questionnaire and literacy tests were administered to the children who participated in the follow‐up study (22 at risk and 20 control). Half of the at‐risk children and two of the control children at age 5 were identified as having dyslexia at age 11 (8 girls and 5 boys). It is concluded that it is possible to identify children at the age of 5 who will have dyslexia at the age of 11 through a questionnaire approach. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.