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Children with specific reading retardation--early determinants and long-term outcome
1Child Psychiatric Clinic, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
Insights
Children with specific reading retardation often face environmental stress and adverse family conditions, leading to increased psychiatric symptoms and delinquency. Their spelling skills show limited improvement over time.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Specific reading retardation (SRR) is a developmental disorder affecting reading acquisition.
- Longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding the developmental trajectories of SRR.
- Identifying risk factors and associated conditions is vital for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between SRR and various factors in a child cohort.
- To examine the long-term outcomes and associated psychiatric symptoms in children with SRR.
- To compare the developmental course of spelling ability in children with and without SRR.
Main Methods:
- Prospective epidemiological longitudinal study of 399 children from age 8 to 18.
- Identification of children with SRR using modified Research Diagnostic Criteria of ICD-10.
- Comparison of SRR group with control groups (other developmental disorders, normal intelligence, below average intelligence).
Main Results:
- No correlation found between SRR and pre/perinatal complications.
- SRR group experienced early environmental stress, adverse familial conditions, and lower maternal education.
- Increased psychiatric symptoms (especially conduct disorders) and juvenile delinquency (25%) observed in the SRR group.
- Non-verbal intelligence remained stable; spelling performance showed limited improvement (only 1/3 improved significantly).
Conclusions:
- SRR is associated with environmental and familial risk factors, not perinatal complications.
- Children with SRR exhibit a higher burden of psychiatric comorbidities and delinquency.
- Early identification and targeted interventions are crucial for improving spelling outcomes in SRR.
- The findings highlight the complex interplay of factors influencing reading development and associated challenges.
Abstract:
In a prospective epidemiological longitudinal study of children (n = 399) from age 8 to 18 years, children with specific reading retardation (n = 37) were identified by the modified Research Diagnostic Criteria of ICD-10. The group with specific reading retardation was compared with a group with other specific developmental disorders (n = 62), a group of children with normal intelligence (n = 285) and a group of children with below average intelligence (n = 15). No correlation was found between reading retardation and pre- and perinatal complications. Children with reading retardation suffered from environment-related stress factors in early childhood and adverse familial conditions at 8 years and the educational level of the mother was significantly lower. The number of additional psychiatric symptoms was increased at ages 8, 13 and 18. Conduct disorders, in particular, were more frequent in children with specific reading retardation and the rate of juvenile delinquency was increased (25%). The non-verbal intelligence remained constant between ages 8 and 13, and spelling performance developed parallel to the control group with normal intelligence. Only one out of three showed a significant improvement in spelling ability.