A South African Investigation Into Etiological and Background Factors in Developmental Dyslexia

Understanding the etiological and background factors associated with developmental dyslexia (DD) is crucial for effective early identification, perceptive support, informed therapist management, and differentiated teacher instruction. A retrospective, cross-sectional, and comparative research design was employed to investigate these factors in the South African population with DD using existing data from a professional academy for the assessment and diagnosis of DD. Four thousand three hundred and seventy school-aged individuals were included. Data were collected across South Africa through the academy's standardised and validated diagnostic tool. Caregiver consent and child assent for the anonymised use of data for further research were obtained before collection. Specific factors of late speech development, prior speech therapy, audiological consultations, negative emotions (anger, frustration, and diagnosed depression), and gender were investigated. Statistical analyses revealed specific significant associations between these factors and different subtypes of DD. Findings underscore the importance of noting the various etiological and background factors associated with DD subtypes, which can inform knowledgeable detection and sympathetic support in classroom settings and subsequent referral and intervention strategies.