Knowledge about and preoccupation with reading disabilities: A delicate balance

This study investigated the extent to which children's knowledge about reading disabilities, preoccupation with their own reading disability, and anxiety predicted reading comprehension in fifth and sixth grade children with reading disabilities (N = 85). Participants provided rich and accurate information about reading disabilities and the academic and emotional implications of having a reading disability. Children's knowledge about the characteristics of reading disabilities was positively associated with reading comprehension, and preoccupation with their own disability was negatively associated with reading comprehension. Girls reported higher levels of preoccupation and anxiety than boys did. In addition to gender, children's reading comprehension, trait anxiety, and perceptions of their mothers' worry about their reading disabilities predicted their preoccupation with their own disability. Children with the most adaptive profile in terms of reading comprehension and anxiety were those who had high levels of knowledge and low levels of preoccupation with their disability.