Comparison of Interventions for Developmental Dyslexia

The ability to read aloud a text was assessed using the Italian standardized test 'New MT reading tests for junior high school' (Nuove prove di lettura MT per la scuola media inferiore), which provides accuracy and speed scores in reading aloud age-normed texts.

The ability to read aloud lists of words was assessed using the following Italian standardized tests: 'Assessment battery for Developmental Dyslexia and Dysorthography-2' (Batteria per la valutazione della dislessia e disortografia evolutiva - DDE-2), in which speed and accuracy scores were computed for word reading (4 lists of 28 words each with different lengths and frequency of use); 'Word and pseudo-word reading test' (WPRT, Prova di lettura di parole e non parole), in which speed and accuracy scores were computed for word reading (4 lists of 30 words varying according to length: short vs. long and frequency of use: low vs. high frequency).

The ability to read aloud lists of pseudo-words was assessed using the following Italian standardized tests: 'Assessment battery for Developmental Dyslexia and Dysorthography-2' (Batteria per la valutazione della dislessia e disortografia evolutiva - DDE-2), in which speed and accuracy scores were computed for pseudo-word reading (2 lists of 16 pseudo-words each with different lengths); 'Word and pseudo-word reading test' (WPRT, Prova di lettura di parole e non parole), in which speed and accuracy scores were computed for pseudo-words reading (2 lists of 30 pseudo-words varying for length: short vs. long).

Rapid automatized naming ability was assessed using the 'Rapid Automatized Naming test (RAN) - Colours' test (Test di denominazione rapida - Colori); in this test, matrices of 5 different colours were presented. The colours were presented in small 1 by 1 cm squares; they were black, blue (RGB 51-102-255), red (RGB 221-8-6), yellow (RGB 252-243-5), or green (RGB 31-183-20). There were 10 rows of 5 stimuli in each matrix for a total of 50 stimuli. Two different matrices for each condition were provided. In the RAN test, the child was requested to name each stimulus in the matrix as quickly and as accurately as possible. The dependent measure was the mean time in seconds/syllable. Naming errors were also recorded.

Phoneme Blending assesses the capacity to derive a phonemic pattern from distinct phonemic units. The examiner presents each of 20 words, letter by letter, and the child is requested to mentally assemble them and report the resulting word. For both tasks, the scores refer to the total number of errors. Only age means (as raw scores) are provided.

Phonemic Elision assesses the ability to recognize and isolate the phonemic constituents of 20 words (in this specific case, the initial constituents). The child is asked to delete the first two phonemes in the word read by the examiner and to report the resulting pseudo-word.

Auditory selective attention was assessed using the Selective Auditory Attention Test from 'NEPSY-II'. In this task, the child listens to a pre-recorded list of words and touches the appropriate circle in the stimulus book when he or she hears a target word. This subtest has two parts. Auditory Attention is designed to assess selective auditory attention and the ability to sustain it (vigilance). Response Set is designed to assess the ability to shift and maintain a new and complex set involving both inhibition of previously learned responses and correctly responding to matching or contrasting stimuli. The child listens to a series of words and touches the appropriate circle when he or she hears a target word. Points are awarded only if the child responds correctly within 2 seconds of the target word presentation. Standard Scores are provided for the sum of Auditory Attention and Response Set.

Rhythm and sound length discrimination abilities were assessed using the Rhythm Task from the 'Q1 VATA Assessment Battery for Cross-domain Learning Abilities' (Batteria per la valutazione delle abilità trasversali all'apprendimento, Q1 VATA). Subtest 'Duration' proposes sequences of tones for which the child has to identify and indicate the tone differing from the others in duration (being shorter or longer than the other tones). There are 4-5 tones in a sequence. In the 'Rhythm' subtest, the child listens to sequences of 6 to 10 tones that can be either identical or different in the rhythmic pattern, and he has to decide whether the two sequences are the same or different. Rhythm reproduction ability was measured using the 'Rhythm reproduction task' test (Tre prove di ritmo), which consists of the request to reproduce a set of rhythmic patterns of increasing complexity. The child has to reproduce a sequence of beats (with the top of a pencil) as demonstrated by the examiner.