CDT Patient Assessment & Clinical Evaluation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following background history factors is most relevant to include in a dyslexia assessment intake?
- The student's preferred learning style
- Family history of reading difficulties (Correct answer)
- Dietary habits and sleep patterns
- Extracurricular activity participation
Correct answer: Family history of reading difficulties
Dyslexia has a strong genetic component, and a family history of reading difficulties is a significant risk factor to document.
Question 2: During a clinical interview with a parent, they report the child had delayed speech milestones. This information is clinically significant because:
- Speech delay rules out a dyslexia diagnosis
- Late talkers always have reading disabilities
- Early language delays may co-occur with phonological processing weaknesses (Correct answer)
- The assessment should be delayed until speech is fully resolved
Correct answer: Early language delays may co-occur with phonological processing weaknesses
Early language delays often indicate underlying phonological processing weaknesses that can contribute to later reading difficulties.
Question 3: A therapist is using curriculum-based measurement (CBM) as part of a dyslexia evaluation. CBM data is best used to:
- Replace standardized norm-referenced tests
- Monitor response to intervention over time (Correct answer)
- Determine eligibility for a formal dyslexia diagnosis
- Assess phonological awareness in isolation
Correct answer: Monitor response to intervention over time
CBM is a formative assessment tool designed to track student progress and response to instruction over repeated administrations.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the 'dual-deficit hypothesis' relevant to dyslexia assessment?
- Students with dyslexia have deficits in both reading and math
- Dyslexia involves deficits in both phonological processing and processing speed/RAN (Correct answer)
- Dyslexia is caused by both genetic and environmental factors equally
- Assessment must evaluate both decoding and comprehension deficits
Correct answer: Dyslexia involves deficits in both phonological processing and processing speed/RAN
The dual-deficit hypothesis posits that many individuals with dyslexia have independent deficits in phonological awareness and naming speed (RAN).
Question 5: A CDT administers the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE-2). Which two subtests does this instrument include?
- Word Attack and Word Identification
- Sight Word Efficiency and Phonemic Decoding Efficiency (Correct answer)
- Oral Reading Accuracy and Reading Rate
- Letter-Word Identification and Passage Comprehension
Correct answer: Sight Word Efficiency and Phonemic Decoding Efficiency
The TOWRE-2 contains the Sight Word Efficiency subtest (real words) and the Phonemic Decoding Efficiency subtest (pseudowords).
Question 6: When evaluating a bilingual student for dyslexia, which assessment practice is most appropriate?
- Administer all tests only in English to maintain standardization
- Assess phonological skills in both the home language and English (Correct answer)
- Delay evaluation until the student is fully English proficient
- Use only informal reading inventories to avoid cultural bias
Correct answer: Assess phonological skills in both the home language and English
Phonological deficits in dyslexia are language-universal; assessing in both languages helps distinguish language acquisition differences from a true reading disorder.
Question 7: An evaluator observes that a student adds, omits, or substitutes sounds during oral reading. These error patterns are formally called:
- Fixations
- Miscues (Correct answer)
- Reversals
- Regressions
Correct answer: Miscues
Reading errors involving substitutions, omissions, or additions of sounds or words are technically referred to as miscues in reading assessment.
CDT Patient Assessment & Clinical Evaluation 3
Which of the following background history factors is most relevant to include in a dyslexia assessment intake?