Classification of reading disability in a case of congenital brain damage

The reading and spelling abilities of an 18-yr-old spastic quadriparetic cerebral palsied female patient are studied in detail. Reading and spelling errors are related to performance on several neuropsychological tests. The patient's reading disability is compared to that found in both developmental and acquired dyslexia. Some similarities are shown to various developmental dyslexia subtypes who are impaired in visual perception or rely upon left hemisphere based reading strategies. She also is somewhat like the acquired dyslexia cases classified as either surface or visual dyslexics. The most salient characteristic of her reading is the degree to which both visual and auditory factors prevent the acquisition of advanced skills.