Long-term Effects of Reading Problems

It has recently been shown that phonological problems tend to persist in adults with childhood reading problems, even when the adults reading skill is within normal range. Many adults with reading problems tend, in the long run, to develop qualitatively different word decoding ability with less specific orthographic knowledge and relying more on context and top-down processing. This presentation reports on phonological processing and word decoding abilities in samples of adults with a history of reading problems. The results also illustrate secondary effects of reading problems, like low self-esteem and low aspiration level, and how these effects may restrict the student’s choice among alternative college and university programs.