Reading and Math Achievement in Children With Dyslexia, Developmental Language Disorder, or Typical Development:...

Area of Science:

• Child psychology
• Developmental neuroscience
• Educational psychology

Background:

• Developmental language disorder (DLD) and dyslexia are common neurodevelopmental conditions.
• These disorders often co-occur, potentially leading to more severe academic difficulties.
• Understanding the long-term academic impact is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the academic functioning of children with DLD and/or dyslexia from second to fourth grade.
• To compare academic growth trajectories between children with DLD, dyslexia, co-occurring DLD and dyslexia, and typical development.
• To examine the utilization of support services for these conditions.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 448 children from South Carolina.
• Utilized growth curve modeling to analyze academic performance data.
• Assessed school-based measures of reading and math functioning.

Main Results:

• Children with DLD and/or dyslexia exhibited early and persistent deficits in reading and math.
• Children with DLD+dyslexia showed the lowest academic performance compared to all groups.
• Academic gaps identified in second grade did not close by fourth grade.
• Low rates of specialized support services were observed (20%-27%), with DLD-only cases receiving services at half the rate of others.

Conclusions:

• DLD and dyslexia significantly and persistently impact children's academic performance.
• There is a critical need to increase awareness and access to support services, especially for children with DLD-only.
• Early identification and intervention are essential to mitigate long-term academic consequences.