Case study of developmental dyslexia

Abstract

Developmental dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties in reading and writing abilities. The case reported herein was that of a 7-year-old school boy who was suspected as having hearing impairment because of numerous errors of writing in school work. His audiogram showed normal hearing in both ears. The Screening Test of Reading and Writing for Japanese Primary School Children (STREW) revealed more marked writing impairment for isolated Hiragana and Katakana characters than for full words. He also showed greater difficulty in writing Katakana and Kanji than in writing Hiragana. It was assumed from some examinations that he had both disorders in phonological and visual information processing. A pediatric neurologist performed further examinations and diagnosed the condition as developmental dyslexia. For the diagnosis of this disorder, a cooperative approach with a specialist in pediatric neurology is recommended.