Comparing SLI and dyslexia: developmental language profiles and reading outcomes

Abstract

In light of the striking overlap in symptoms, it has been proposed that SLI and dyslexia reflect the same underlying disorder, differing only in severity. An alternative view is that SLI and dyslexia overlap (only) partially, sharing some risk factors, and differing on various others. We will address this debate by presenting results from a longitudinal study of children at familial risk of dyslexia and children with SLI. We focus on two experimental tasks conducted with preschool children, assessing morphosyntactic ability and phonological processing. The performances of each group were compared and related to language and literacy profiles established at age 8. The results agree most with the hypothesis that SLI and dyslexia share risk factors, but are not fully overlapping.