This dissertation, "Automatization Deficit Among Chinese Developmental Dyslexic Children" by Wai-lap, Wong, 黃緯立, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: Abstract of thesis entitled "Automatization Deficit among Chinese Developmental Dyslexic children" Submitted by Wong Wai-Lap for the degree of Master of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong in August 2005 Developmental dyslexia is a specific language-based disorder of constitutional origin characterized by difficulties in single word decoding, usually reflecting insufficient phonological processing (Olson, 2002). Wolf and Bowers (1999) reported that there is a group of dyslexic children who have no phonological skill deficit but show deficit in naming highly familiar items. The phonological account of dyslexia is found to be inadequate. With the observations of skill acquisition deficit in verbal and nonverbal domain among dyslexic children, Nicolson and Fawcett (1990) proposed that developmental dyslexia is a symptom of a more general learning disability. Using a dual-task balancing paradigm, Nicolson and Fawcett (1990) demonstrated that dyslexic children have problem in automatizing cognitive processes even after extensive practices. They argued that dyslexic children have automatization deficit. Evidences are added by Yap and Van der Leij (1995) with their "flash presentation" paradigm. Dyslexic automatization deficit (DAD) hypothesis has been criticized by its generality and as a confounding effect. It is argued that dyslexic children show automatization deficit in reading and writing but not other areas (Savage, 2004). And, the findings are criticized as a confound of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Wimmer et al., 1998). Nicolson and Fawcett (1990) have suggested that some of the difficulties encountered by dyslexic children are masked by putting extra effort or by compensation strategies. Owing to the multi-facet nature of the concept of automaticity, the indicators and the explanations of automatization deficit are diverse. This study aims to validate the DAD hypothesis and further explore the nature of automatization deficit shown among Chinese dyslexic children. Four commonly accepted properties of automaticity are reviewed and experimental tasks are constructed accordingly. The relationships between Chinese word reading ability, automaticity, and two cognitive skills important to reading acquisition (short-term memory and general speed of processing) are explored. 30 Chinese dyslexic children, 30 chronological-age (CA) controls and 30 reading- level (RL) controls were recruited. They were tested with a Chinese word reading test, a battery of automaticity measures, articulation test, digit span tests and two subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities (Woodcock & Johnson, 1989). Data showed that Chinese dyslexic children had a general delay in reaching the speed asymptote in verbal domain, they were inferior in obligatory activation, and, they were more susceptible to time constraint in word recognition. However, their primary task performance was not subject to more interference in the dual-task condition. Regression analysis revealed that the best model in predicting Chinese word reading ability under the framework of learning includes short-term memory, general speed of processing and susceptibility to time constraint. In sum, the present study shows that dyslexic children do not manifest all the automatization difficulties but problems are elicited specifically in t