Praxis SLP Licensure Exam

When assessing an adolescent with dyslexia, which area of difficulty would likely be revealed by poor spelling ability?

1. Sound awareness

2. Syntactic structure

3. Orthographic knowledge

4. Language processing

The correct answer is: Orthographic knowledge

The selected answer, orthographic knowledge, is particularly relevant in the context of dyslexia because it pertains to the understanding of the written form of words. This includes awareness of how letters and sounds combine to form words, as well as the rules of spelling. Individuals with dyslexia often struggle with recognizing and recalling the correct letter patterns that make up words, which directly affects their spelling abilities. Poor spelling is an indicator that the individual may have difficulty with orthographic knowledge, as they might not be able to access the mental representations of how words are spelled. This is a core component of written language that children and adolescents with dyslexia typically find challenging, leading to their spelling errors. Other areas of difficulty might contribute to literacy challenges, but they do not directly link poor spelling as clearly as orthographic knowledge does. Sound awareness involves recognizing and manipulating sounds in words, which is important but more related to phonological processing. Syntactic structure pertains to the rules that govern sentence formation, making it less relevant to spelling specifically. Language processing encompasses a broader range of skills, including understanding and using language, but again does not pinpoint the orthographic aspect that specifically influences spelling. Therefore, orthographic knowledge is the most accurate area to identify in relation to difficulties revealed