Reading disability in adjudicated youth: Prevalence rates, current models, traditional and innovative treatments

This paper reviews current literature from two distinct but overlapping domains: juvenile delinquency (JD) and reading disability (RD). In light of the substantial evidence that RD is both associated with, and causally involved in JD, it is alarming how little extant research has systematically investigated remediation strategies for use in the juvenile corrections system. The paper begins with a definition and a review of approaches for conceptualizing JD. RD is placed within the context of a large domain of risk factors for JD. We then define RD and introduce studies that establish the link between RD and JD, and give estimates of its prevalence within the JD population. We discuss briefly the role of attentional problems in mediating the relationship between RD and JD, before exploring the tenets and some limitations of common theories of RD. This is followed by a brief review of the literature that has begun to investigate the efficacy of various reading remediation approaches within the juvenile detention setting. We conclude by previewing some promising new research employing computer-based training and highlight recommendations for future research on RD in the JD population.