Problem:
Adam's case study provides an opportunity to explore deficits in language across five domains. Adam has general comprehension difficulties with obvious difficulties with semantics and syntax. Regarding phonology, Adam reads somewhat less fluently than peers, suggesting that deficits in language could be affecting his phonemic awareness and thus compromising his decoding. He has phonological deficits in spelling, where Adam has difficulty spelling new words. This, however, could also be related to difficulties with orthographic and morphological knowledge. Morphological deficits could also contribute to Adam's vocabulary deficits. He does not understand many words and has a limited vocabulary. It is possible that his difficulties with language could affect morphological analysis of new words. Further, his difficulty with reading fluently and understanding complex syntax may impede his ability to contextually abstract the meanings of novel words. Although Adam is able to decode text with the same proficiency as peers, his comprehension of this text is an area of weakness. This is likely attributable to general deficits in language. Remember the simple view of reading where comprehension is the product of decoding and linguistic comprehension; given observed difficulties with both aspects of the model, reading comprehension for Adam is compromised.