Are males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at risk for reading disabilities?
Hendriksen JG; Vles JS Childhood Rehabilitation Centre Franciscusoord, Stichting Revalidatie Limburg, Valkenburg a/d Geul, The Netherlands. j.hendriksen@srl.nl Males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have sub-average cognitive capacities and may manifest more specifically language-related deficits. In the current study, the information-processing capacity, reading performance, and behavioral functioning of 25 Dutch males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (mean age 10.1 years) were systematically assessed. This study relied on the use of a new battery of tests to explore more precisely reading disabilities in males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Five of the males had serious reading problems and another five had moderate reading problems, which indicates that reading problems are significantly more common in males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy than in males from a normal population. These reading problems were independent of the level of information processing and behavioral functio
