The relationship between phonological processing and reading ability: evidence from Down syndrome and Williams syndrome / A relação entre o processamento fonológico e a habilidade de leitura: evidência da síndrome de Down e da síndrome de Williams

Abstract

The present article presents a review of studies which investigated the relationship between phonological processing skills and the ability to read words in two developmental disorders: Down syndrome (DS) and Williams syndrome (WS). Results suggest that, like children without developmental disorders, individuals with DS and individuals with WS learn to read by processing and remembering letter-sound relations in words. It is nonetheless possible that non-phonological processes play a more important role in reading skills among individuals with DS and WS than among typically developed children. As discussed in the text, there is evidence that variations in non-verbal abilities are more strongly correlated with reading ability in DS and WS than among children with typical reading development.

Keywords

• Word reading
• phonological processing
• Down syndrome
• Williams syndrome