Diagnosing dyslexia. A note on the need for ecological assessment

Diagnosis of dyslexia and other learning disabilities is usually made on the basis of poor academic performance; intact intelligence; presence of neurological, perceptual, or linguistic disorders; and exclusion of obvious physical, emotional, or environmental difficulties. Recent evidence suggests that both physicians and educators often fail to consider certain situational and instructional factors, which often leads to incorrect diagnosis of the syndrome. A simple case review and interview procedure is suggested as a means of avoiding the problem of false-positive diagnoses of dyslexia.