Reading disability in adjudicated youth: Prevalence rates, current models, traditional and innovative treatments John Shelley-Tremblay ⁎ , Natalie O'Brien, Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling University of South Alabama, United States Received 29 September 2005; received in revised form 23 March 2006; accepted 1 July 2006 Available online 2 October 2006 Abstract This paper reviews current literature from two distinct but overlapping domains: juvenile delinquency (JD) and reading disability (RD). In light of the substantial evidence that RD is both associated with, and causally involved in JD, it is alarming how little extant research has systematically investigated remediation strategies for use in the juvenile corrections system. The paper begins with a definition and a review of approaches for conceptualizing JD. RD is placed within the context of a large domain of risk factors for JD. We then define RD and introduce studies that establish the link between RD and JD, and give estimates of its prevalence within the JD population. We discuss briefly the role of attentional problems in mediating the relationship between RD and JD, before exploring the tenets and some limitations of common theories of RD. This is followed by a brief review of the literature that has begun to investigate the efficacy of various reading remediation approaches within the juvenile detention setting. We conclude by previewing some promising new research employing computer-based training and highlight recommendations for future research on RD in the JD population. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Juvenile delinquency; Reading disability; Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Contents 1. Juvenile delinquency: definitions, risk factors, and links to reading problems .................... 377 2. Reading disability: definitions, prevalence, and co-occurrence with attention problems ............... 379 3. Reading disability: etiology, and treatment in the juvenile correctional system .................... 382 3.1. The phonological deficit hypothesis ...................................... 383 4. Non-phonological aspects of reading disability: visual processing and attention ................... 384 5. ReviewofpastresearchtoremediateRDinthejuvenilecorrectionssystem:strengths,weaknesses,andrecommendations . 386 6. Summary of recommendations for research and remediation ............................. 388 Aggression and Violent Behavior 12 (2007) 376 – 392 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: jstremblay@usouthal.edu (J. Shelley-Tremblay). 1359-1789/$ - see front matter © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2006.07.003