Evaluation of the emotional and behavioral consequences in Specific Learning Difficulties. Implications for intervention
Antonio Rodriguez Fuentes, Concetta Pirrone, Francisca Serrano Chica, Linda Zuppardo, Rio Bianchini, Sergio Messina
Dyslexia should be considered as a global condition, including neural and cognitive factors, plus behavioral and emotional aspects. Some cases of dyslexia report negative effects beyond the well-known slow and inaccurate reading, low reading fluency and decoding and orthographic deficits. These called «secondary» effects are related with emotional and behavioral problems and may come as the result of repeated problems in school development. This study focus in the emotional and behavioral features of students with dyslexia, compared to students without learning disabilities. Fifty students (aged 8 to 18) were tested with TMA, CBCL and MASC, testing their emotional-behavioral profile. Twenty-five participants with dyslexia and another 25 participants matched in age and academic level, but without any learning problems, were tested. Low self-esteem level, not only in academic area, but all the others tested was found in participants with dyslexia. Additionally, they also showed higher levels of social anxiety and behavioral problems. These findings support the relevance of studying behavioral and emotional variables in dyslexia. The study concludes with the convenience of considering the need for an intervention program that could focus on both emotional and literacy problems in dyslexia, aiming for improving students’ school performance and overall wellness.
Keywords
Dyslexia, self-esteem, anxiety and behavioral problems, intervention.