Abstract
Cluster analysis was employed to identify subtypes of reading disability in a sample of 140 reading-disabled children using factor scores obtained from a battery of psychometric tests. Preliminary results suggested the existence of three subtypes, but closer scrutiny of the data indicated that individual differences are more accurately characterized by continuity in the measurement space. This result demonstrates the need for detailed validation of findings from applications of cluster analysis. Despite the absence of homogeneous subtypes, the characterization of individual strengths and weaknesses on psychometric measures may nonetheless be important for diagnosis and remediation in the educational setting.
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Vogler, G.P., Baker, L.A., Decker, S.N. et al. Cluster analytic classification of reading disability subtypes. Read Writ 1, 163–177 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377469
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377469