Word identification in adults with mild mental retardation: Does IQ influence reading achievement?

Objective. To assess the relationship between word identification and intel ligence in adults with mild mental retardation (IQ < 80). Method. A standar dized evaluation was administered to 67 adults with mild mental retardation . The evaluation included a psychiatric interview, the WAIS-R, and a 2-h in terview with a speech therapist and reading tests. Results. Causes of menta l retardation were diverse in the sample, and IQ scores ranged from 43 to 7 9 (mean score = 63). All subjects exhibited reading impairment, including 6 9% with severe impairment. No subject with an IQ score under 65 was able to perform adequately in the word identification tasks. Word identification w as correlated with total and verbal IQ, but not with performance IQ. Conclu sion. Our results suggest that. in contrast to subjects with normal intelli gence, IQ score is correlated with reading in subjects with mild mental ret ardation. Finally, remediation should be preferentially implemented for sub jects with IQ score greater than 65. (C) 2001 Academic Press.