Abstract

Several studies about of reading disabilities, agree on the hypothesis that children with reading deficits should exhibit problems in decoding the written word, while the amplitude of the vocabulary would presumably be in the norm. However, other studies, argued for the hypothesis that problems in learning to read are also associated with deficits in basic vocabulary that could affect not only the transcoding process, but also oral and written comprehension. The aim of these study is to analyze the role of linguistic deficits in reading, and examine the correlation between semantic factors and reading difficulties in individuals with dyslexia and with typical development. Results have shown that children with dyslexia a linguistic deficit, in addition to the difficulties related to phonological skills.