Proprioceptive intervention improves reading performance in developmental dyslexia: An eye-tracking study.

Developmental dyslexia is characterized by difficulties in learning to read, affecting cognition and causing failure at school. Interventions for children with developmental dyslexia have focused on improving linguistic capabilities (phonics, orthographic and morphological instructions), but developmental dyslexia is accompanied by a wide variety of sensorimotor impairments. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of a proprioceptive intervention on reading performance and eye movement in children with developmental dyslexia. Nineteen children diagnosed with developmental dyslexia were randomly assigned to a regular Speech Therapy (ST) or to a Proprioceptive and Speech Intervention (PSI), in which they received both the usual speech therapy and a proprioceptive intervention aimed to correct their sensorimotor impairments (prism glasses, oral neurostimulation, insoles and breathing instructions). Silent reading performance and eye movements were measured pre- and post-intervention (after nine months). In the PSI group, reading performance improved and eye movements were smoother and faster, reaching values similar to those of children with typical reading performance. The recognition of written words also improved, indicating better lexical access. These results show that PSI might constitute a valuable tool for reading improvement children with developmental dyslexia.

Phonological remediation effects on a child with giftedness and developmental dyslexia. / Efeito da remediação fonológica em criança com altas habilidades/superdotação e dislexia do desenvolvimento.

Twice-exceptionality is characterized as the presence of high performance concomitantly with deficiencies or incompatible conditions. An example is when giftedness manifest associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. This study is a clinical case report referring to the evaluative and interventional process of a 9- year-old child with the paradoxical combination of giftedness associated with dyslexia. It aims to compare the performance in phonological processing, reading and writing before and after phonological remediation. In the first assessment, the child demonstrated alphabetic level in reading, a transition phase between syllabic-alphabetic and alphabetical writing levels, and below-expected performance in phonological processing skills. After intervention, the results showed consistent improvements in phonological processing, the consolidation of alphabetical writing and orthographic reading level. In general, children with isolated dyslexia have persistent difficulties in several skills after intervention. The evolution shown after phonological remediation, especially at reading level, shows different characteristics than expected. Thus, it can be concluded that twice-exceptionality may have favored the overcoming of some of the shown difficulties more successfully. Studies on these combined conditions can contribute to a better understanding of this framework during the development of learning and to formulate specialized interventions.

A dupla-excepcionalidade é caracterizada pela presença de alto desempenho concomitante a deficiências ou condições incompatíveis, como é o caso de altas habilidades associadas a transtornos do neurodesenvolvimento. Esse estudo é um relato de caso clínico referente ao processo avaliativo e interventivo de uma criança de 9 anos com a combinação paradoxal de altas habilidades associadas à dislexia. O objetivo foi comparar o desempenho nas tarefas de processamento fonológico, leitura e escrita pré e pós remediação fonológica. Na primeira avaliação, a criança apresentou nível alfabético na leitura, fase de transição entre os níveis silábico-alfabético e alfabético na escrita e desempenho abaixo do esperado nas habilidades do processamento fonológico. Após a intervenção, houve melhora em habilidades do processamento fonológico, consolidação da escrita alfabética e do nível ortográfico de leitura. Em geral, crianças com dislexia isolada apresentam dificuldades persistentes em várias habilidades após intervenção. A evolução demonstrada após a remediação fonológica, principalmente no nível de leitura, mostra características diferentes do esperado. Assim, pode-se concluir que a dupla-excepcionalidade pode ter favorecido a superação de algumas de suas dificuldades de forma mais exitosa. Estudos sobre estas condições combinadas podem contribuir para a melhor compreensão deste quadro durante o desenvolvimento da aprendizagem e para a formulação de intervenções especializadas.

Correction to effects of a visual perception-based occupational therapy programme on reading and motor skills in children with developmental dyslexia: Single blind randomised crossover study design.

This study aimed to examine the effects of a visual praxis-based occupational therapy (VPOT) programme on reading and motor skills for children with developmental dyslexia (DD). Forty-two children were included in the study. Additionally, before VPOT, the Reading-Aloud and Reading-Comprehension Test 2 (ORSRC-2) and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor-Proficiency-Test-2-Brief Form (BOT2-BF) were applied to the participants. According to the study design, VPOT was applied to two sessions per week for 8 weeks to group A. During this period, group B was accepted as the control group. At the end of these 8 weeks, evaluation tests were applied to both groups. Then, group A was defined as the control group and Group B as the intervention group, and VPOT was applied to Group B. At the end of another 8 weeks, evaluation tests were applied to both groups for the third time. When the final ORSRC-2 results were examined, VPOT was found to be an effective programme for improving reading skills. Additionally, when the final BOT2-BF results were examined, VPOT was determined to be effective in improving motor skills (p < 0.05). We believe that it is important to carry out comprehensive studies such as the VPOT programme to solve problems in the physical and learning activities of children with DD.

Increasing inter-word spacing reduces migration errors and improves reading comprehension in students with dyslexia.

We report a small study in which we explored the effects of manipulating narrative text on levels of comprehension for students with and without dyslexia. Using two pieces of standardised narrative text deemed to be of similar difficulty and length, we manipulated the texts such that we could present two texts to each participant, one in each condition. The first condition was text using standard inter-word spacing; the second condition used increased inter-word spacing. Scores on standardised comprehension questions were significantly improved for participants with dyslexia. Additionally, given that there is evidence of delayed visual attention disengagement in individuals with specific forms of dyslexia, we hypothesised that the phenomena of migration of letters and words for some readers might be mitigated by increasing inter-word spacing. We did indeed find that incidence of migration was significantly reduced in this condition for all participants.

Effects of a visual perception-based occupational therapy program on reading and motor skills in children with developmental dyslexia: Single blind randomized cross-over study design.

This study aimed to examine the effects of a visual praxis-based occupational therapy (VPOT) program on reading and motor skills for children with developmental dyslexia (DD). Forty-two children were included in the study. Additionally, before VPOT, the Reading-Aloud and Reading-Comprehension Test 2 (ORSRC-2) and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor-Proficiency-Test-2-Brief Form (BOT2-BF) were applied to the participants. According to the study design, VPOT was applied to two sessions per week for 8 weeks to group A. During this period, group B was accepted as the control group. At the end of these 8 weeks, evaluation tests were applied to both groups. Then, group A was defined as the control group and Group B as the intervention group, and VPOT was applied to Group B. At the end of another 8 weeks, evaluation tests were applied to both groups for the third time. When the final ORSRC-2 results were examined, VPOT was found to be an effective program for improving reading skills. Additionally, when the final BOT2-BF results were examined, VPOT was determined to be effective in improving motor skills (p < 0.05). We believe that it is important to carry out comprehensive studies such as the VPOT program to solve problems in the physical and learning activities of children with DD.

Enhancing word signing in hearing students with reading disorders using computer-based learning trials.

Multiple-baseline-across-word-sets designs were used to determine whether a computer-based intervention would enhance accurate word signing with four participants. Each participant was a hearing college student with reading disorders. Learning trials included 3 s to observe printed words on the screen and a video model performing the sign twice (i.e., simultaneous prompting), 3 s to make the sign, 3 s to observe the same clip, and 3 s to make the sign again. For each participant and word set, no words were accurately signed during baseline. After the intervention, all four participants increased their accurate word signing across all three word sets, providing 12 demonstrations of experimental control. For each participant, accurate word signing was maintained. Application of efficient, technology-based, simultaneous prompting interventions for enhancing American Sign Language learning and future research designed to investigate causal mechanisms and optimize intervention effects are discussed.

Scoping Review of Music Interventions Aimed at Improving Reading Skills in Children with Specific Learning Disorders in Reading.

An emerging body of research utilizes music in the treatment of children with specific learning disorders in reading. However, greater understanding of music interventions is necessary for efficient application of music to address children's specific reading needs. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to identify the key musical concepts used to improve reading skills. Intervention studies were identified through online searches of databases and hand searching of primary journals in music therapy, and 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. For the 12 studies, auditory processing, phonological processing, and temporal processing were the underlying mechanisms identified in the interventions. Most of the interventions presented rhythmic activities for the purpose of improving reading accuracy. The results of this study highlight the lack of specific descriptions for the musical elements used within music interventions targeting reading skills. In addition, due to the diversity of the terms used to describe the music interventions, it was difficult to compare the effectiveness of these interventions on reading accuracy, comprehension skills, and fluency. Therefore, future studies are needed to articulate clear rationales for how musical elements can be used in music interventions to treat specific reading disabilities in children.

Oculomotor Rehabilitation Improves Reading Abilities in Dyslexic Children With Concurrent Eye Movement Abnormalities.

The oculomotor abnormalities have been reported in some dyslexic children. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of oculomotor rehabilitation on the reading performance of dyslexic children. Subjects were 50 dyslexic children. Those with oculomotor abnormalities (n = 30) were randomly assigned into 2 groups matched for age. The case group received oculomotor rehabilitation. The rehabilitation program consists of 3 different exercises. The reading and dyslexia tests were performed before and after the intervention. The correct scores of reading tests in the case group posttest increased significantly compared with the control group, and there is a significant difference between the two groups (P = .001). The positive effects of oculomotor rehabilitation on the reading performance of dyslexic children confirmed that the oculomotor program could be a practical tool for improving reading performance in dyslexic children.

The COVID generation: Online dyslexia treatment equally effective as face-to-face treatment in a Dutch sample.

Due to pandemic-induced lockdown(s) in 2020, dyslexia treatment was forced to move to online platforms. This study examined whether Dutch children who received online treatment progressed as much in their reading and spelling performance as children who received the usual face-to-face treatment. To this end, 254 children who received treatment-as-usual were compared to 162 children who received online treatment with Bayesian methods. The advantage of a Bayesian approach is that it can provide evidence for and against the null hypothesis whereas frequentist approaches only provide evidence against it. We found that children in the online treatment condition received slightly fewer treatment sessions but progressed equally after controlling for the number of sessions compared to the treatment-as-usual condition. These results have clinical and practical implications as they show that reading treatment can be successfully delivered online.

Action video game training improves text reading accuracy, rate and comprehension in children with dyslexia: a randomized controlled trial.

Dynamic visual attention training using Action Video Games (AVGs) is a promising intervention for dyslexia. This study investigated the efficacy of 5 h (10 × 30 min) of AVG training in dyslexic children (aged 8-13) using 'Fruit Ninja', while exploring whether increasing attentional and eye movement demands enhanced AVG effectiveness. Regular (AVG-R; n = 22) and enhanced AVG training (AVG+; n = 23) were compared to a treatment-as-usual comparison group (n = 19) on reading, rapid naming, eye movements and visuo-temporal processing. Playing 'Fruit Ninja' for only 5 h significantly improved reading accuracy, rate, comprehension and rapid naming of both AVG groups, compared to the comparison group, though increasing attentional demands did not enhance AVG efficacy. Participants whose low contrast magnocellular-temporal processing improved most following training also showed significantly greater improvement in reading accuracy. The findings demonstrate a clear role for visual attention in reading and highlight the clinical applicability of AVGs as a fun, motivational and engaging intervention for dyslexia.

Intervención logopédica en trastornos del aprendizaje de la lectura en población infantil bilingüe / Speech therapy intervention in reading learning disabilities in bilingual children

ANTECEDENTES Y OBJETIVO: Con la mitad de la población mundial expuesta a más de una lengua, la escasez de estudios sobre la eficacia de intervenciones específicamente dirigidas a niños bilingües con trastorno del aprendizaje de la lectura (TAL) puede llevar al profesional a emitir recomendaciones precipitadas para su abordaje. El presente trabajo pretende aportar orientaciones para el diseño de intervenciones adaptadas a este tipo de usuarios. PACIENTES: Las orientaciones de intervención propuestas se dirigen a niños o adolescentes que evolucionan en contextos multilingües (con dos o más lenguas en su entorno familiar, escolar o social, que se juzguen relevantes para el desarrollo del individuo). RESULTADOS: Partiendo de la evidencia sobre la eficacia de las intervenciones fundamentadas en el desarrollo fonológico y de las correspondencias grafema-fonema con población multilingüe con trastorno del aprendizaje de la lectura, se proponen orientaciones para adaptar estos componentes del tratamiento a dicha población. Se incorporan asimismo recomendaciones de trabajo sobre componentes complementarios, tomando en cuenta su pertinencia en distintos tipos de lengua. CONCLUSIONES: La evidencia sugiere que es pertinente intervenir en más de una lengua con pacientes con trastorno del aprendizaje de la lectura, siempre y cuando se tengan en cuenta determinados aspectos específicos en el diseño del programa de intervención. No obstante, es necesario seguir generando estudios longitudinales de intervención o de caso con niños de distintos contextos multilingües, en función de la transparencia de cada una de sus lenguas, su momento de adquisición y el papel que desempeñan en la vida del niño

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: With half of the world's population exposed to more than one language, the lack of studies on the effectiveness of interventions specifically aimed at bilingual children with reading learning disorder can lead professionals to issue hasty recommendations on how to approach the issue. This paper aims to provide guidance for the design of interventions adapted to this type of users. PATIENTS: The proposed intervention guidelines are aimed at children or adolescents who evolve in multilingual contexts (with two or more languages in their family, school or social environment, deemed relevant for the development of the individual). RESULTS: Using the evidence of the effectiveness of interventions based on phonological development and grapheme-phoneme correspondences with multilingual population with reading learning disorder, guidelines are proposed to adapt these components of the treatment to said population. Recommendations for work on complementary components are also incorporated, taking into account their relevance in different types of language. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence suggests that it is pertinent to intervene in more than one language with patients with reading learning disorder, as long as certain specific aspects are taken into account in the design of the intervention programme. However, it is necessary to continue generating longitudinal intervention or case studies with children from different multilingual contexts, depending on the transparency of each of their languages, their moment of acquisition and the role they play in the child's life

Small-world EEG network analysis of functional connectivity in developmental dyslexia after visual training intervention.

Aberrations in functional connectivity in children with developmental dyslexia have been found in electroencephalographic studies using graph analysis. How training with visual tasks can modify the functional semantic network in developmental dyslexia remains unclear. We investigate local and global topological properties of functional networks in multiple EEG frequency ranges based on a small-world propensity method in controls, pre- and post-training dyslexic children during visual word/pseudoword processing. Results indicated that the EEG network topology in dyslexics before the training was more integrated than controls, and after training - more segregated and similar to that of the controls in the theta (θ: 4-8), alpha (α: 8-13), beta (ß1: 13-20; ß2: 20-30), and gamma (γ1: 30-48; γ2: 52-70 Hz) bands for three graph measures. The pre-training dyslexics exhibited a reduced strength and betweenness centrality of the left anterior temporal and parietal regions in the θ, α, ß1 and γ1-frequency bands, compared to the controls. The simultaneous appearance of hubs in the left hemisphere (or both hemispheres) at temporal and parietal (α-word/γ-pseudoword discrimination), temporal and middle frontal cortex (θ, α-word), parietal and middle frontal cortex (ß1-word), parietal and occipitotemporal cortices (θ-pseudoword), identified in the EEG-based functional networks of normally developing children were not present in the networks of dyslexics. The hub distribution for dyslexics in the θ, α, and ß1 bands became similar to that of the controls. The topological organization of functional networks and the less efficient network configuration (long characteristic path length) in dyslexics compared to the more optimal global organization in the controls was studied for the first time after remediation training.

An evaluation of systematized phonics on reading proficiency in Swedish second grade poor readers: Effects on pseudoword and sight word reading skills.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of systematized phonics on word reading in Swedish second grade poor readers. Forty-nine children who performed at or below the 25th percentile on pseudoword reading and/or sight word reading at the beginning of second grade participated in the study. The study had a cross-over design exploring within-and between-group effects of two different conditions: systematized phonics and classroom instruction. Overall, systematized phonics proved more effective than classroom instruction. At pre-intervention, no child performed above the 30th percentile in pseudoword reading or sight word reading. At post-intervention, corresponding numbers were 69% for pseudoword reading and 35% for sight word reading. Implications for a policy change in Sweden towards mandatory systematized phonics in primary school are discussed.

Is "Response/No Response" Too Simple a Notion for RTI Frameworks? Exploring Multiple Response Types With Latent Profile Analysis.

We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a randomized control trial to explore this question: Does "response/no response" best characterize students' reactions to a generally efficacious first-grade reading program, or is a more nuanced characterization necessary? Data were collected on 265 at-risk readers' word reading prior to and immediately following program implementation in first grade and in spring of second grade. Pretreatment data were also obtained on domain-specific skills (letter knowledge, decoding, passage comprehension, language) and domain-general skills (working memory, non-verbal reasoning). Latent profile analysis of word reading across the three time points with controls as a local norm revealed a strongly responsive group (n = 45) with mean word-reading z scores of 0.25, 1.64, and 1.26 at the three time points, respectively; a mildly responsive group (n = 109), z scores = 0.30, 0.47, and 0.55; a mildly non-responsive group (n = 90), z scores = -0.11, -0.15, and -0.55; and a strongly non-responsive group (n = 21), z scores = -1.24, -1.26, and -1.57. The two responsive groups had stronger pretreatment letter knowledge and passage comprehension than the two non-responsive groups. The mildly non-responsive group demonstrated better pretreatment passage comprehension than the strongly non-responsive group. No domain-general skill distinguished the four groups. Findings suggest response to early reading intervention was more complicated than response/no response, and pretreatment reading comprehension was an important predictor of response even with pretreatment word reading controlled.

Comparison of Reading Growth Among Students With Severe Reading Deficits Who Received Intervention to Typically Achieving Students and Students Receiving Special Education.

This study compared the reading growth of students with and without learning disabilities, and students with and without reading deficits in response to tier 2 reading interventions within a response-to-intervention framework. Participants were 499 second- and third-grade students in six urban schools. Students who scored at or below the 10th percentile on the fall reading screening assessment were identified as having a severe reading deficit and received a tier 2 reading intervention that was targeted to their needs. Results showed a significant effect between groups on reading growth. Students with severe reading deficits receiving targeted tier 2 intervention grew at a rate that equaled the rate of growth of students without reading deficits and was significantly higher than students who were receiving special education services for reading. Implications for practice, suggestions for future research, and study limitations are discussed.

The effects of book exposure and reading interest on oral language skills of children with and without a familial risk of dyslexia.

The potential role of home literacy environment (HLE) in children's language development has been widely studied. However, data on the HLE of children with familial risk (FR) of dyslexia are limited. In this longitudinal study, we examined (a) whether amount of book exposure and reading interest at age 4 were different in samples of Norwegian FR and no FR-children, respectively, (b) whether these home literacy-related factors exerted different effects depending on family-risk status on vocabulary and grammar skills at school entry age (6 years) and (c) whether they contributed independently to language outcomes at age 6, after controlling for the 4;6-year language skills. Results showed no significant between-group differences in book exposure and reading interest. Furthermore, while interest in reading did not affect vocabulary and grammar in either group, book exposure contributed to vocabulary skills only in the FR-group by school entry. However, this longitudinal association was mediated by lexical skills at age 4;6, implying that the HLE has a positive indirect effect on later language development through its effect on early language. Thus, these findings can be taken to suggest that early intervention including exposure to various book-reading activities for pre-school FR-children with poor expressive vocabulary is worth considering.

Proyecto Petit UBinding: método de adquisición y mejora de la lectura en primero de primaria. Estudio de eficacia / Petit UBinding project: An efficacy study of a reading acquisition and reading improvement method for first grade children

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el impacto de un nuevo método educativo diseñado en la Universidad de Barcelona para dotar a los profesionales de material y herramientas para estimular la lectura en el alumnado de primer curso de educación primaria. Se realizó un diseño pre-post con niños/as separados en 2 grupos: experimental y control. El método fue aplicado en el grupo experimental de noviembre a abril. Tres veces por semana se administraron desde la escuela sesiones grupales en las que se trabajaba mayoritariamente la descodificación, el vocabulario y la comprensión. Por otro lado, de una a 4 veces por semana, según el nivel de eficiencia lectora detectado en cada alumno/a, se llevaron a cabo sesiones individuales online desde el domicilio de los participantes completamente adaptadas al nivel de cada alumno/a, en donde el objetivo principal era trabajar la descodificación. Los análisis mostraron que el grupo experimental obtuvo mejores resultados en fluidez lectora (velocidad y precisión) en todas las pruebas administradas comparado con el grupo de control a final de curso

The aim of this study was to measure the impact of a new method designed at the University of Barcelona to give professionals material and tools that could stimulate reading among first grade of primary school children. The children were split into two groups, an experimental and a control group, and their performances were evaluated within a pre- and post-design. The methodology was applied in the experimental group between November and April. Three times a week, children took part in group sessions that were organized at school. During these sessions, they mainly worked on decoding, vocabulary and comprehension. Between 1 and 4 times a week, according to the reading proficiency of each child, individual online sessions took place at home. These sessions, whose objective was to work primarily on decoding, were entirely adapted to meet the needs of each child, according to his/her level. The analysis of data showed that, at the end of the school term, the experimental group got better results in terms of reading fluency (speed and accuracy) in all tests assessed than the control group

Reading comprehension in dyslexic schoolchildren after an intervention program. / Compreensão de leitura em disléxicos após programa de intervenção.

PURPOSE: To develop a Speech-language Pathology (SLP) program and verify its effects on the reading comprehension of dyslexic students. METHODS: Participants were eleven 4th and 5th-grade Elementary School students, eight boys and three girls, aged 9-11 years, diagnosed with developmental dyslexia. All individuals underwent the therapeutic program, which was composed of 16 sessions divided into four levels of complexity. A text adapted according to the Cloze technique and reading comprehension and orthography tasks were used in each session. The schoolchildren had their reading comprehension assessed pre- and post-program using a text available at the Test of Reading Comprehension of Expository Texts, adapted for application of the structural Cloze technique without support, according to the Evaluation of Reading Comprehension Levels. RESULTS: The participants showed better performance in reading comprehension at the post-program assessment not only in the filling of blanks in the text adapted according to the Cloze technique and in the Responses to Reading Comprehension Questions, but also in the level of reading comprehension achieved. CONCLUSION: The SLP program improved the reading comprehension performance and increased motivation to reading of dyslexic schoolchildren. Both the Cloze technique and the Reading Comprehension Questions were useful tools to develop and identify changes in the reading comprehension of the students assessed. This study is relevant because it prepared and verified the effects of a specific remediation program for schoolchildren with dyslexia by proposing the use of texts adapted according to the Cloze technique combined with other various tasks of reading comprehension and orthography.

OBJETIVO: Elaborar um programa terapêutico fonoaudiológico e verificar seus efeitos na compreensão de leitura de escolares disléxicos. MÉTODO: Participaram do estudo onze escolares de 4º e 5° anos do ensino fundamental, diagnosticados com Dislexia do Desenvolvimento, com idades entre nove e onze anos, sendo oito meninos. Todos foram submetidos ao programa terapêutico fonoaudiológico com 16 sessões, divididas em quatro níveis de complexidade. Em cada sessão, foram utilizados um texto adaptado com a Técnica de Cloze e tarefas de Compreensão Textual e Ortografia. Os sujeitos realizaram avaliação da compreensão leitora no pré e no pós-teste com um texto do Teste de Compreensão Leitora de Textos Expositivos, adaptado com a Técnica de Cloze estrutural sem apoio, seguido da Avaliação dos Níveis de Compreensão de Leitura. RESULTADOS: Os sujeitos apresentaram melhor desempenho na compreensão leitora no pós-teste, tanto no preenchimento do texto adaptado com a Técnica de Cloze e nas respostas às Perguntas de Compreensão Textual quanto no nível de compreensão de leitura atingido. CONCLUSÃO: O programa elaborado gerou melhor desempenho na compreensão leitora dos escolares disléxicos e na motivação para a leitura. A Técnica de Cloze e as Perguntas de Compreensão Textual foram instrumentos úteis para desenvolver e apontar mudanças na compreensão de leitura dos sujeitos desta pesquisa. Trata-se de estudo relevante, por elaborar e verificar os efeitos de um programa específico de remediação para disléxicos, com uma proposta de aplicação de textos usando a Técnica de Cloze e aliando-a a outras tarefas diversificadas de compreensão de leitura textual e ortografia.

A Synthesis of Elementary Mathematics Interventions: Comparisons of Students With Mathematics Difficulty With and Without Comorbid Reading Difficulty.

In this synthesis, we reviewed 65 studies involving elementary students (i.e., grades 1-5) identified with mathematics difficulty (MD) in which authors implemented a mathematics intervention. Of these studies, we identified 33 group designs, 9 quasi-experimental designs, and 23 single-case designs. We aimed to synthesize performance differences between students with MD with and without reading difficulty (RD). We identified three categories of students for analysis: Students with MD+RD, MD-alone, or MD-nonspecified (i.e., no reading information provided). Overall, 80% of studies included students with MD-nonspecified, and the interventions for these students demonstrated strong effects. For the limited number of studies with students with MD+RD or MD-alone, intervention effects were strong for students with MD+RD and variable for students with MD-alone. In the three studies directly comparing the performance of students with MD+RD versus MD-alone, we noted differential patterns of performance. To tailor interventions to student need, more research must be conducted to understand whether students with MD with variable reading profiles respond differentially to mathematics intervention.

The intelligibility and comprehension of synthetic versus natural speech in dyslexic students.

Introduction-Purpose: Despite the growing amount of data on the 'synthetic speech perception' by people with no disabilities, there has been limited research on the intelligibility and comprehension of synthetic speech systems by dyslexics. This study investigated the intelligibility and comprehension of synthetic versus natural speech in Greek dyslexic students.Method: Forty three dyslexic students were presented with various acoustic stimuli (words, sentences, texts) both in synthetic and natural speech.Results: The data analysis has shown that dyslexic students had identified better words and sentences presented in natural than in synthetic speech. In regards to their levels of performance in text comprehension there was not any significant difference between synthetic and natural speech. Perhaps their observed difficulties in their word/ sentence intelligibility did not manage to restrain their levels of text comprehensibility. It seemed as if the context cues provided by the text each time had assisted dyslexics in comprehending the text more effectively no matter the speech condition used (natural versus synthetic one).Conclusion: Given that the overall purpose of reading is comprehension it is suggested that the text to speech systems could be used after all by the dyslexics as support as scaffolds for the intended purpose of reading comprehension.Implications for rehabilitation This research constitutes a trial to investigate the possibility of text-to-speech technology to serve as an educational aid for students with reading deficits helping them to master reading tasks that they may not have been able to do on their own. Students with reading disabilities need to be more successful in the reading process and managing at the same time to decrease the achievement gap that exists between them and those without disabilities. This work suggests that:• Text-to-speech technology needs further development and improvement to provide a closer to natural speech output in order to be a valuable educational aid for students with dyslexia.• Although there is a deviation, especially, in intelligibility between synthetic and natural speech that kind of assistive technology could provide a useful educational aid for those students that reading tasks appear to be a cumbersome process.• Natural and synthetic speech in combination and in discriminating use (for instance, natural speech in word tasks and synthetic in contextual tasks i.e., reading texts) could be integral tools to numerous educational settings and rehabilitation bodies.