Pediatria pre prax 6/2013

Specific language impairment in preschool age – beginning of dyslexia?

Traditionally dyslexia has been understood as a condition only marginally associated with language development but mostly connected with perceptual-motor disabilities. This interpretation influences up to date preventive, diagnostic and remediation activities which are concentrated at these areas of skills. The aim of the study is to show that Slovak speaking preschool age children with specific language impairment do have deficits in three areas of skills that are currently considered as predictors of dyslexia: in phonological awareness, rapid naming and letter knowledge. The inherence of these deficits is regarded by the author as the argument supporting a predominantly linguistic origin of dyslexia.

Keywords: language development, language impairment – specific language impairment, dyslexia, predictors of literacy.