This article provides an overview of the underlying core deficits (i.e., phonological processing, rapid naming speed, and the "double deficit" hypothesis) believed to be associated with reading disabilities in the word recognition area. In order to emphasize the importance of accurate diagnosis, examples of appropriate intervention strategies for the different deficit areas are presented. This is followed by a general discussion of current assessment practices. Although school systems typically utilize IQ-achievement discrepancy analysis for identifying reading disabilities in children, this procedure appears to have a number of shortcomings. Alternative approaches for identifying children with reading disabilities related to word recognition are offered.
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