The developmental dyslexia scale for standard mandarin: A study among early primary students

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Educational psychology
• Linguistic assessment

Background:

• Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder impacting children's development.
• Mainland China lacks a standardized diagnostic tool for DD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Developmental Dyslexia Scale for Standard Mandarin (DDSSM) for DD diagnosis in Mainland China.
• To evaluate the reliability and validity of the DDSSM.

Main Methods:

• The DDSSM was developed using Delphi expert consultation and pilot testing with 450 children (grades 1-3).
• Reliability and validity were confirmed with 53 children (grades 1-2).
• Statistical analyses included internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis.

Main Results:

• The DDSSM demonstrated strong expert consensus and excellent internal consistency.
• Confirmatory factor analysis supported the scale's theoretical structure.
• The DDSSM showed good agreement with the Dyslexia Checklist for Chinese Children and academic performance.

Conclusions:

• The DDSSM is a reliable and valid diagnostic tool for developmental dyslexia in Mandarin-speaking primary school children.
• The study confirmed orthographic awareness as a core deficit in Chinese DD.
• Visual-spatial attention, rapid automatized naming, and morphological awareness are key cognitive factors for reading in Chinese.