Is There a Relationship Between Speech Identification in Noise and Categorical Perception in Children With Dyslexia

Purpose Children with dyslexia have been suggested to experience deficits in both categorical perception (CP) and speech identification in noise (SIN) perception. However, results regarding both abilities are inconsistent, and the relationship between them is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between CP and the psychometric function of SIN perception. Method Sixteen children with dyslexia, 16 chronological-age controls, and 16 reading-level controls were evaluated in CP of a voicing continuum and in consonant identification in both stationary and fluctuating noises. Results There was a small but significant impairment in speech identification performance of children with dyslexia in stationary noise compared with chronological age–matched controls (but not reading level–matched controls). However, their performance increased in a fluctuating background, hence suggesting normal masking and unmasking effects and preserved sensory processing of speech information. Reg...