Reading Comprehension Disorders

Comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading.   However, there are a number of factors which may interfere with an individual's ability to comprehend text material.

The most common single obstacle to text comprehension is decoding insufficiency.  Simply put, if the child cannot decode accurately and automatically, comprehension will be compromised. 

• When the child cannot "apprehend" or decode the word, meaning cannot be extracted. 
  
  

• When the child cannot decode fluently and automatically, reading is slow and laborious and memory for read material is poor.
  
  

• When the child cannot decode and is taught to rely on "context cues" or to "guess" at words, comprehension is compromised.

A more subtle interference is an underlying problem with language comprehension or inferential thinking.  Those with right-hemispheric or non-verbal learning disorders are typically proficient decoders or "word callers" who have little to no difficulty remembering the specific details of what they have read.

In this second category, the student typically does well in the early grades but begins to struggle academically in the higher grades when the demand for comprehension increases.  Such students often begin to experience difficulty with test taking and lecture learning due to underlying deficits in complex comprehension of novel material and inferential thinking.

It is not until late elementary or middle school when the curriculum demands shift and the demand for complex comprehension increases.   Students who start out strong but begin to experience learning difficulty in the higher grades should be evaluated for underlying deficits in comprehension.

Physiological vision problems, such as deficits in tracking and scanning, also interfere with comprehension of text.  For example, if one were asked to read Gone with the Wind through a straw, the physical energy to perform the task would result in extreme fatigue, diminished attention and poor comprehension.  Comprehension problems in this case would not be due to specific learning disability but to a sensory-based (and likely correctable) vision problem.

Lastly, psychological problems can also impair comprehension.  Therefore, a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation should be performed whenever a person experiences problems with text comprehension.  Only through evaluation can one determine the root cause of difficulty and design appropriate intervention strategies.

Whenever an individual experiences problems with reading comprehension, a comprehensive neuropsychoeducational evaluation should be performed to test for:

• Decoding sufficiency
  
  
• Information processing
  
  
• Visual scanning and tracking functions
  
  
• Psychological functioning
  
  
• Language comprehension
  
  
• Cognitive capabilities
  
  
• Academic achievement

Margaret J. Kay, Ed.D., has been evaluating and serving the needs of children and adults with difficulties in reading comprehension for over 25 years.

On-Line Resources

• Language Based Learning Disabilities  
  
  

• Learning Disabilities Association
  
  

• National Council on Learning Disabilities
  
  

• AHEAD
  
  

• LD Online
  
  

• Council for Exceptional Children
  

• Target the Problem
  

Suggested Reading

• Aaron, P.G. and Baker, C. (1991) Reading Disabilities in College and High School: Diagnosis and Management . York Press.
  
  
• Aaron, P.G. and Joshi, R.M. (1992) Reading Problems: Consultation and Remediation. Guilford Press.
   
• Maria, K. (1990) Reading Comprehension Instruction: Issues and Strategies. York Press.
  
  

• Thompson, S. (1997) The Source for Non-Verbal Learning Disorders. LinguiSystems.

Intervention

• The Nancibell® Visualizing and Verbalizing® for Language Comprehension and Thinking (V/V™) successfully stimulates concept imagery. Individuals become able to image gestalts which include color, and even movement. This improves their language comprehension, reasoning for critical thinking, and expressive language skills. It is common for individuals to gain years in language comprehension in four weeks of intensive treatment.
  
  
• Project READ Reading Comprehension Strand

Learning Disabilities Resource Kit

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Last modified: January 03, 2008