ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the evidence which suggests that a basic cognitive deficit may underlie these problems in reading. To gain a more detailed knowledge of this cognitive deficit it is necessary to look to experimental studies which assess specific components of verbal ability. One particular component which seems to be associated with reading difficulties is the ability to deal with phonological information in memory. Some psychologists use the term working memory to refer to this temporary storage system in order to emphasise the important role it plays in the execution of so many everyday cognitive tasks. One commonly held belief is that specific reading retardation is associated with a deficit in visual perception. This deficit in visual perception supposedly gives rise to confusions between letters like p, d, b and q, which have the same form but different orientation.
