Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

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Torabi Z, Estaki M, Kochak Entezar R, Sharifi N. The Effectiveness Cerebellar Training Method with Vibration on Reading Skills and Auditory Discrimination for Students with Reading Difficulties. MEJDS 2018; 8 :41-41
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-948-en.html

Background & Objective: Reading is a kind of mental-lingual process based on the visual information, reader's awareness, as well as phonological and semantic rules. This skill is the most fundamental learning tool for students, since reading, and comprehension are the basic requirements to acquire any written information. The lack of success in acquiring reading skills in early school years can genuinely prevent students from achievement in most other educational subjects. Research shows that most children with reading complications suffer from problems in motor coordination and auditory processing. Based on the above, the present study aims to answer the following question: is sound therapy with Forbrain able to help students with reading difficulties improve their reading performance and auditory discrimination?
Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest with the control group. The sample group consisted of 20 students who were studying in elementary school (second and third grade). They were selected by available sampling method from the stated sample and assigned randomly to two experimental and control groups. In this Study Data collected by Reading - Dyslexia Test (Karami nori & Moradi 2008) and Wepman auditory discrimination test (WADT 1987). The criteria for entry into the study included: Not having dyslexia according to DSM-5, The lowest scores in the Reading & dyslexia test, not taking the drug (Ritalin), being In the age range of 7 to 9 years, and having a normal IQ in the Wechsler Intelligence Test. Exit criteria include: having other intermittent disorders such as ADHD, having unprofitable families (such as divorce, parenthood addiction, etc.), having Physical sensory problems. After pre-test the experimental group for 20 sessions trained by integrated cerebellar training method (1hour), and auditory correction method (30 minute with Forbrain headset), while the control group received no intervention. Then, the subjects of the two groups tested by post-test. Data were analysed by SPSS22 in p=0.05.
Results: As pretest scores were considered as a covariant variable, to determine its impact on the posttest, analysis of covariance used. To this end, the assumptions of variance homogeneity and the normal distribution of scores- as main covariance assumptions- were investigated. The results of the Levene test approved the homogeneity of the data (Auditory Discrimination: F=29.65, p<0.11; Reading Skills: F=1.66, p<0.33). The data analysis based on the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test shows the normal distribution of data in both groups. Since the prerequisites for covariance observed, the data were analysed using Analyze of Covariance (ANCOVA).  The results of ANCOVA shows significant differences in mean of reading skills (p= 0.02), and auditory discrimination (p=0.001) in the experimental group decreased significantly. This difference also was significant for all subscales of reading skills (Chain words, Understanding words, Rhyme test, The concept of text, Read the words) except Reading non-words, Naming picture and Deleting sounds (p=0.44, 0.32, 0.06).
Conclusion: According to the previous study, the results obtained in this study show that the integrating of cerebellar training method with vibration have a significant effect on reading skills and auditory discrimination students with reading difficulties. Because of the effectivity of the present intervention in the treatment of auditory discrimination, the same method can be employed to treat or prevent other learning disorders. Although this intervention is not a perfect treatment for all types of learning disorders, it is a major component since hearing plays a prominent role in the learning process without its training and adjustment learning will be hard.