What does SCD stand for when describing reading difficulties?

SCD stands for Specific Comprehension Difficulties, which refers to challenges that some learners face specifically in understanding texts, despite having age-appropriate phonological processing and reading skills. This term is important because it identifies a particular area of struggle that can be separate from other reading-related difficulties, such as phonetic decoding or broader language issues. Recognizing SCD allows educators and specialists to provide targeted interventions and support to improve comprehension skills without overlooking the child’s overall reading ability.

Understanding SCD is crucial in the context of effective reading instruction, as it emphasizes the need for differentiated strategies that focus on comprehension tasks, inferencing, and text analysis, helping students to develop a more robust understanding of the content they read.