Study Shows Benefits of Intervention for Kids with Dyslexia
In a recent article published in the journal NeuroImage, researchers found that measurable changes occurred in the brain structure of children with dyslexia following an intense reading intervention.
In this breakthrough study, 11 children—average age 9 years old, and previously diagnosed with dyslexia—were given an 8-week program using the Lindamood-Bell Seeing Stars® Symbol Imagery program, which is designed to develop literacy skills.
Prior to and immediately after the intervention, students were given a series of behavioral tests and MRI scans by independent researchers from the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University Medical Center and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. The same battery was also administered 8 weeks later, following a period when no intervention took place.
Results & Implications
The intervention resulted in significant improvement in reading skills accompanied by increases in gray matter volume (GVM). It is the first such study in children with dyslexia to show that their brain structure can be changed through intervention.
As stated by the article authors, “These findings provide encouragement that learning can result in both lasting behavior and structural changes in children who struggle in learning to read. Further investigation will improve understanding not only for how the brain responds to learning, but in how these findings may be translated into refining interventions and improve the learning experience.”
For further details access the article in NeuroImage at: http://eorder.sheridan.com/3_0/display/index.php?flashprint=1144
Information about the study is also available on the Lindamood-Bell Website at http://www.lindamoodbell.com/research/gray-matter-volume-changes-following-reading-intervention-dyslexic.aspx