Early Identification of Reading Disabilities: Current Status and New Directions

Abstract

Despite a growing body of research, the ability to accurately identify which young children are at risk of developing reading disabilities remains elusive. The purpose of this article is to describe the issues that complicate early identification and to suggest possible avenues for exploration. Major issues facing early identification efforts include the type of measures used for screening, timing, definition of classification accuracy, and the criteria for "at risk" and "reading disabled" status. As a possible solution, we propose that the addition of growth measures may yield more accurate classification.