Abstract
The present article reviews experimental studies of auditory and speech perception in individuals with reading difficulties. Although the auditory temporal processing hypothesis proposed by Tallal and her colleagues (e.g., Tallal, 1980) has been the basis for many studies, other researchers have reported inconsistent results. Other types of auditory perception, including perception of the frequency, intensity, and duration of sounds, have also been investigated, although, for these, hypotheses have not been well established. In addition, categorical perception and speech-in-noise perception tasks have been used frequently to investigate speech perception in individuals with reading difficulties. However, findings on the correlation of speech perception deficits with reading difficulties have also been inconsistent. Thus, effects of perceptual deficits on reading difficulties remain unclear. Potential new research directions are proposed, as are important issues that should be addressed in future studies in order to improve the understanding of the relation between auditory and speech perception and reading difficulties.
