Abstract
This paper examined the language development of boys divided into three groups - reading disabled at ages 9 and 11, non-reading disabled at ages 9 and 11 but matched in language scores at age 3 and the remainder of the boys. The results showed a significant decline in language skills of the reading disabled group between ages 3 and 11. This was consistent with the view that general language deficits in this group may be partly the consequence of their reading difficulties.