THE STUDY INCLUDED PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH AND EXAMINATIONS OF 106 MALE JUVENILES WHO WERE REFERRED TO THE CENTER FOR PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENT PRIOR TO DISPOSITION, AND A RETROSPECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE RECORDS OF 371 YOUTHS WHO WERE REFERRED FOR CLASSIFICATION AND ASSIGNMENT. THE SUBJECTS RANGED IN AGE FROM 12 TO 17. APPROXIMATELY 60 PERCENT WERE RETARDED IN READING BY 2 YEARS OR MORE; 50 PERCENT WERE RETARDED MORE THAN 3 YEARS. FEW OF THE YOUTHS HAD GENERAL MEDICAL PROBLEMS THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THEIR READING DISABILITY. SEVERAL OF THE READING-RETARDED YOUTHS HAD FAMILY HISTORIES OF READING PROBLEMS, PERFORMANCE IMPAIRMENTS, AND ORIENTATIONAL IMPAIRMENTS--ALL INDICATIVE OF THE PRESENCE OF DEVELOPMENTAL DYSLEXIA (IMPAIRMENT OF THE ABILITY TO READ DUE TO A BRAIN DEFECT). LEFT HANDEDNESS, CROSSED LATERALITY (DIFFERENT LEFT/RIGHT PREFERENCES FOR HAND AND FOOT), AND FAULTY PRONUNCIATION WERE MORE COMMON IN RETARDED READERS THAN IN OTHER SUBJECTS--FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE PRESENCE OF DYSLEXIA AMONG THE POOR READERS. IN BOTH THE READING-RETARDED AND NONRETARDED GROUPS THE INCIDENCE OF LEFT-HANDEDNESS AND CROSSED LATERALITY DECLINED AROUND AGE 13. AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PSYCHIATRIC AND SCHOLASTIC BACKGROUNDS OF THE YOUTHS FOUND ONLY ONE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE READING-RETARDED AND NONRETARDED GROUPS: A SLIGHTLY GREATER INCIDENCE OF ENURESIS AMONG THE FORMER. RETARDED READERS WERE NO MORE LIKELY THAN OTHER SUBJECTS TO BE TRUANT. THE NOTION OF A PROGRESSION FROM DYSLEXIA TO TRUANCY OR DELINQUENCY IS NOT BORNE OUT. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM) (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)