Is there a distinct form of developmental dyslexia in children with specific language impairment? Findings from an orthographically regular language.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify quantitative and qualitative differences between the reading and writing skills of children with developmental dyslexia and those of dyslexic children with a specific language impairment (SLI).

Background: It is suggested that although the etiology of developmental dyslexia and SLI may be diverse, dyslexic children with SLI and their language-intact peers are comparable on a behavioral level.

Methods: Three groups of second-grade children were compared on reading and writing tests with single words and nonwords: 15 dyslexic children with a history of SLI (SLI group), 15 dyslexic children with a typical pattern of language development (non-SLI group), and a control group of 30 children with no clinical history of learning disabilities or communication disorders.