1. Normal and Special Variation in Reading Skill
Is a single analysis of reading skill sufficient to
characterize both ‘garden variety’ variation and severe
reading difficulties? Severe difficulties in reading in
the absence of general intellectual problems is the
standard definition of dyslexia, or specific reading
disability. The discrepancy between achievement in
reading and achievement in other domains is what sets
dyslexia apart. However, there are reasons to blur the
distinction between specific and nonspecific reading
problems. Individuals in the two categories may differonly in their achievements in some other nonreading
area. The processes that go wrong in a specific
disability may not be much different from those that
go wrong for an individual who also has a problem in
some other area (Stanovich and Siegel 1994). For both
groups, difficulties in reading must be understood in
terms of the processes of reading. What are the
processes that can go wrong?