Reading Disability Spectrum: Early and Late Recognition, Subthreshold, and Full Comorbidity

Several studies have reported high comorbidity for reading disability (RD) and psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the comorbidity of subthreshold and full psychiatric disorders with RD while comparing subgroups based on age of RD recognition (early vs. late). We analyzed data from 130 children with RD and 82 typically developing children aged 7 to 18 years. RD was assessed with the Dyslexia Differential Diagnosis Maastricht-Hungarian Standard Test. Psychiatric diagnoses were based on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Kid. Chi-square tests were used for group comparisons of the prevalence of subthreshold and full disorders. A higher proportion of children in the RD group were assessed as having internalizing or externalizing disorders. When subthreshold and full diagnoses were considered together, the prevalence of internalizing but not externalizing pathology was higher in the RD group than the control group. The prevalence of internalizing pathology was similar in the early and late RD subgroups, but externalizing pathology was more common in the late RD subgroup. When subthreshold and full diagnoses were considered together, mood disorder and externalizing pathology were more prevalent in the late RD subgroup than the early RD subgroup. This study demonstrated that early recognition of RD may play a role in determining comorbid psychopathology and should therefore be an educational and clinical priority. Clinicians should routinely screen children with RD for comorbid disorders, including subthreshold pathology.