The behavioural and emotional profile of children with comprehension weaknesses

Purpose: Children with reading difficulties are at heightened risk of behavioural and emotional problems. However, these associations have predominantly been examined for children who struggle with decoding aspects of reading. This study asked whether children with reading comprehension weaknesses relative to their decoding skills also show higher prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems. Method: Preregistered analyses compared the externalising and internalising scores of 931 children with comprehension weaknesses and 4422 typical readers previously identified from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (James et al., 2023), with additional exploratory analyses to further compare to 1353 children with decoding weaknesses. Multilevel growth models were used to compare parent-report scores at ages 9, 11, and 13, alongside self-reported internalising scores at ages 10, 12 and 13. Results: Children with comprehension weaknesses showed no differences in the prevalence or trajectory of internalising and externalising symptoms to their peers without reading difficulties. Exploratory analyses confirmed that children with comprehension weaknesses had fewer externalising problems than those with decoding weaknesses, and that females in this group had fewer self-reported depressive symptoms at the first test point. Conclusion: Associations between reading difficulties and behavioural or emotional problems are largely constrained to decoding weaknesses. Children with relative reading comprehension weaknesses do not appear to share this broader risk profile.