title: Specific reading disability in Egyptian children. Clinical picture, diagnosis and prognosis.
abstract: Forty-four elementary school children with average or above average intelligence were found to be 1-2 years behind the expected level of reading ability. They were left to proceed in their conventional education program for the next 3 years. Reassessment revealed that 23 children (52%) had attained a normal reading level. 21 (48%) children remained unchanged. They were categorized into the corrective reading disability (CRD) and specific reading disability (SRD) groups, respectively. Clinical evaluation of both groups showed that children with SRD had a significantly higher incidence of: (1) illiteracy of both parents; (2) low sociocultural standard; (3) positive family history of elementary school failure; (4) abnormal optokinetic nystagmus; (5) disturbed homolateral dominance, and (6) immature EEG tracing over the occipital area. These findings could be of value in identifying high risk children for SRD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Farrag
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: el-Behary
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis