The development of a knowledge-based system supporting the diagnosis of reading and spelling problems (II)

In an earlier paper [Van Aarle & Van den Bercken (1992). The development of a knowledge-based system for supporting the diagnosis of reading and spell ing problems. Computers in Human Behavior, 8, 183-201] a decision-support s ystem for diagnosing elementary reading and spelling problems (CONDALS) was introduced. The system is meant to assist diagnosticians in processing dia gnostic information in a methodical way. It is designed to embody a number of guidelines incorporated in a prescriptive framework for diagnostic decis ion making, the so-called Diagnostic Cycle. The construction of the interfa ce, which entailed our first knowledge aquisition study, was described in t he previous paper. The present paper reports on further research activities needed to construct the system. It primarily reports the results of a know ledge acquisition study in which almost all Dutch experts familiar with the current scientific literature and clinical practice participated. The stud y resulted in a reliable knowledge base of highly agreed upon diagnostic hy potheses, all relating one or more symptoms of reading and spelling problem s to one or more factors currently considered to embody the best explanator y power for these symptoms. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.