Psycholinguistic Learning Disabilities in 20 Mexican-American Students

Abstract

In a rural elementary school in southern California, where the population is 83 percent Mexican—American, twenty students (all Mexican—American) who were having severe reading difficulties were given the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities. Composite profiles were made of these twenty students' differential abilities. All of the points falling below the average on the composite profiles of all of the students' mean scores were in auditory areas (listed in order of disability): Grammatic Closure, Auditory Closure, Auditory Association, Auditory Reception, Sound Blending, and Auditov Memory. Because the ITPA findings pointed up the need for additional help in auditory areas in teaching language to Mexican—American students, curriculum emphases and instructional procedures have been modified.