Perspectives on the Classification of Specific Developmental Disorders

This text is a review of the controversy surrounding the classification of such disparate disorders as reading, spelling, writing, and language disorders. Severe and specific impairments in these functions do exist and appear to follow a developmental course. How to identify children presenting such problems and how to operationalize the disorders has long challenged professionals. This text grew from an international symposium held in the Netherlands, but all chapters have been specially prepared for the publication.