A validation of the Dyslexia Adult Screening Test (DAST) in a post-secondary population

In Ontario, Canada, there is a demand for psychometrically robust screening tools capable of efficiently identifying students with specific learning disabilities (SLD), such as dyslexia. The present study investigated the ability of the Dyslexia Adult Screening Test (DAST) to discriminate between 117 post-secondary students with carefully diagnosed SLDs and 121 comparison students. Results indicated that the DAST correctly identified only 74% of the students with SLDs as 'highly at risk' for dyslexia. Although employing the cutoff for 'mildly at risk' correctly identified 85% of the students with SLDs, this also increased the percentage of students with no major history of learning problems identified as 'at risk' for dyslexia from 16% to 26%. These findings suggest that the DAST in its present form is limited in its ability to screen for SLDs. Implications for future research are discussed.