Understanding Auditory Temporal Processing in Chinese Children With Dyslexia: The Mediating Effect of Phonological Awareness and Rapid Automatised Naming

This study investigated the temporal processing deficit hypothesis in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia. Thirty-two children with dyslexia and 34 typically developing children (grades 2 and 3) completed nonverbal and verbal auditory temporal order judgement (ATOJ) tasks. Structural equation modelling was used to examine whether phonological awareness and rapid automatised naming (RAN) mediated the relationship between auditory temporal processing and reading abilities. Children with dyslexia showed significantly poorer ATOJ performance under both conditions. ATOJ accuracy influenced reading abilities through phonological awareness, while ATOJ reaction time exerted its effect via RAN. These findings elucidate the mechanisms linking auditory temporal processing to reading in Chinese dyslexia, supporting the generalisation of the temporal processing deficit hypothesis to logographic writing systems. The results have implications for early identification and intervention of reading difficulties in Chinese children.