Comparing the efficacy of phonological awareness intervention with neuropsychological intervention in children with specific reading disorder

Abstract

Phonological awareness is known to be associated with reading disorder. Intervention for specific reading disorder that focuses on training to improve phonological processing abilities has been found an effective means of addressing reading difficulties experienced by children. However, little is known as to what happens to other neurocognitive abilities associated with the process of reading but that are not causally linked to it. Some of these cognitions include attention, executive functions and verbal and visual memory. A series of three studies explored the relation between neuropsychological skills and phonological abilities in children with specific reading disorder. The first step in the studies involved establishing deficits in associated cognitive abilities in children with specific reading disorder. Children attending the Literacy Clinic, Department of Communication Disorders, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, are screened for the presence of specific reading disorder. They are routinely assessed on reading and phonological processing measures before an intervention programme is initiated. Four such children who were assessed and identified as having specific reading disorder without speech language difficulties were chosen for the study. These children, who ranged in age from 7 to 15 years, referred to as the RD group, were assessed during the week before the onset of the intervention for the neuropsychological functions of attention, executive functions, verbal and visual learning, and memory. After the assessment (termed pre-intervention assessment), they were provided with phonological processing intervention. The intervention programme was carried out by trained speech-language therapists and lasted for 10 weeks. Two sessions a week were conducted, giving a total of 20 sessions.