Development of Behavior Problems in Children with and without Specific Learning Disorders in Reading and Spelling from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade

Horbach J, Mayer A, Scharke W, Heim S, Günther T. Development of Behavior Problems in Children with and without Specific Learning Disorders in Reading and Spelling from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade. Scientific Studies of Reading. 2020;24(1):57-71.Previous studies have established the relationship between behavioral problems and specific learning disorders (SLD); however, the exact mechanism by which behavioral disorders impact SLD remains unclear. This longitudinal study used the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to investigate how parents’ judgment of children’s behavioral problems changed from kindergarten to fifth grade in children diagnosed with or without specific learning disorders in reading and spelling (SLDrs) (N = 196). Growth component model analyses showed differential development of behavior problems between children with and without SLDrs. The groups did not differ before school entrance in externalizing behavior, internalizing behavior or any sub-scale of the CBCL. Parents reported their children with SLDrs as having higher overall levels of behavioral problems after school entrance, especially in first and fourth grade. Comorbid ADHD appears to be the explanatory factor of differential problem behavior ratings between children with and without SLDrs