PHONOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES IN HIGH-FUNCTIONING DYSLEXICS

Well compensated, high-functioning dyslexics, aged 18 years, whose rea ding ability had improved so that it was now within one standard devia tion of the normal population mean were assessed on a range of phonolo gical tasks. The dyslexics were compared with controls matched for age and academic attainment. A sizeable subgroup performed as well as con trols on a word recognition test. However, they performed worse, in te rms of accuracy, on nonword reading and spelling, and worse, in terms of speed, on spoonerisms, digit naming and speech rate. These results indicate that, even when word recognition ability has reached normal l evels, a specific problem in subsyllabic phonology persists, and is de monstrable both in written and spoken language processing. Despite thi s specific difficulty, all the dyslexic participants were studying for university entrance exams and were expected to enter tertiary educati on.