Exploring the link between visual perception and reading: the clinical usefulness of battery DTVP-2

International audienceReading is known to be primarily a linguistic task and a large body of data shows that there are many linguistic factors that affect word processing (i.e. phonological awareness). However, to successfully decode written words children also need to develop good visual perception skills. Furthermore, very recent literature shows that another skill seems to be also implicated in reading acquisition: motor abilities. That is, dyslexia is frequently associated with visuo-attentional and motor disorders (e.g. : Bellocchi et al., 2013; Jover et al., 2013). Studying both the development of normal or deviant reading abilities and its predictors would allow to develop teaching or remedial methods and identify children at risk for later reading difficulty. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a pre-existing battery to test these skills, specifically visual perception and visual-motor integration (DTVP-2, Hammil, Pearson & Voress, 1993). First we wanted to test how visual perception and visual-motor integration assessed in Kindergarten predict reading outcomes in 1st Grade in a group of 36 typical developing children. Secondly, we aimed at evaluate if these abilities could be seen as clinical markers in a group of 20 dyslexic children compared to typical developing readers (both reading-level controls and chronological-age controls). Main results showed that only the visual-motor integration subcomponent predicts reading one year later (R2= .23; p <. 05; &#946; =.39; p < .05), in line with recent studies (e.g.: Sons & Meseils, 2006; Longcamp, Lagarrigue & Velay, 2010). Furthermore, dyslexics showed lower visual perception and visual-motor integration abilities compared to normal readers. This last result is discussed taking into account the co-occurrence between dyslexia and other neurodevelopmental disorders