The regression-based discrepancy definition of learning disabilities has been suggested by Rutter and Yule as an improvement of the well-known and much criticized achievement-intelligence discrepancy definition, whereby the examinee's predicted reading attainment is substituted for the intelligence score in the discrepancy expression. Even though…

The strong differences in manifestation, prevalence, and incidence in dyslexia across languages invite studies in specific writing systems. In particular, the question of the role played by emergent literacy in opaque and transparent writing systems remains a fraught one. This research project tested, through a 4-year prospective cohort study, an…

The purpose of this study was to examine the construct and predictive validity of a dynamic assessment (DA) of decoding learning. Students (N = 318) were assessed in the fall of first grade on an array of instruments that were given in hopes of forecasting responsiveness to reading instruction. These instruments included DA as well as…

This study examined whether high-and low-IQ poor readers differed in patterns of reading performance. Ten-year-old poor readers with IQ scores of 110 and higher showed difficulty in taking a phonological approach to reading, failing to show an advantage in reading high-frequency regular versus irregular words and showing impaired nonword reading…

Students (n=210) in learning disabilities research centers were administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised. A model considering the reliability of each measure identified learning disabilities three times more often than a regression analysis model. The regression…

This investigation (with 30 normal students and 30 students with reading disabilities, ages 7-15) examined the relationship between intelligence and phonological coding when ability was defined according to the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive (PASS) cognitive processing model. Findings indicate that phonological problems may not be…

A conceptual overview of the Regression Discrepancy Model (RDM) for assessing discrepancy between intelligence quotient and achievement scores is offered. Six RDM goals are identified, and figures from a RDM computer output show basic outcomes. Strengths and weaknesses of the RDM are discussed, without the use of complex mathematical descriptions.…