title: Predicting dyslexia at age 11 from a risk index questionnaire at age 5.
abstract: This study focused on predicting dyslexia in children ahead of formal literacy training. Because dyslexia is a constitutional impairment, risk factors should be seen in preschool. It was hypothesized that data gathered at age 5 using questions targeting the dyslexia endophenotype should be reliable and valid predictors of dyslexia at age 11. A questionnaire was given to caretakers of 120 5-year-old children, and a risk index score was calculated based on questions regarding health, laterality, motor skills, language, special needs education and heredity. An at-risk group (n = 25) and matched controls (n = 24) were followed until age 11, when a similar questionnaire and literacy tests were administered to the children who participated in the follow-up study (22 at risk and 20 control). Half of the at-risk children and two of the control children at age 5 were identified as having dyslexia at age 11 (8 girls and 5 boys). It is concluded that it is possible to identify children at the age of 5 who will have dyslexia at the age of 11 through a questionnaire approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway. turid.helland@psybp.uib.no
authors.forename: Turid
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Helland
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Plante
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hugdahl
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012306:Risk; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014706:Verbal Learning