Electronic reading and writing in spoken and written Arabic: A case study

Reading and writing disabilities and generalized cognitive dysfunction are developmental in origin and are likely linked to abnormalities in brain function. In this article, we detail selective reading and writing disturbances in the spoken and written Arabic orthography of an Arab teenager (RL) who communicates with his friends via readable and understandable electronic messages. We examine the performance of RL, who was diagnosed as learning disabled, in his reading and writing of Arabic words and text in Latin orthography compared to his reading and writing in Arabic orthography. Cognitive and verbal abilities in Arabic and Latin electronic orthography were tested using traditional pen and paper as well as electronic devices. The results underline the importance of the effect of the type of Arabic orthography on reading and writing fluency.