Changes in Brain Function in Children with Dyslexia After Training

Summary:
The article begins by discussing what dyslexia is and how it is affecting today’s students. Dyslexia is characterized as a difficulty reading for reasons other than intellectual, environmental, education and motivation. Dyslexia may be found in between 5-17% of the general population. Phonological awareness, the ability to manipulate the sound structure of a word (sounding out made-up words for example), is “thought to be a required foundation for both normal-reading and dyslexic children to benefit from phonics instruction. Dyslexic children tend to lack phonological awareness as well as auditory processing. Studies have been performed that show that children with dyslexia have less brain functioning in the temporo-partietal cortex region. The article looked at the effects of a particular technological training program on the brain function of dyslexic children. The computer program focused on “auditory processing and oral language through an intense and adaptive computer program” (48). Though the study did find improved functioning in that particular region of the brain after administering the treatment, functioning did not reach normal levels. This study concluded that the particular intervention, Fast ForWord Language did change brain function and increase reading abilities of dyslexic children.

Response:
I knew practically nothing about dyslexia before reading this article, so I’m thankful that I had a chance to read it! It’s interesting that a computer program could change the way that the dyslexic students’ brains functioned. A sad reality for children who fall behind is that they rarely “catch up” or reach normal levels of achievement, but a program like this could help dyslexic children feel more successful and develop the tools they need to read better.

Temple, E. (2003). Changes in brain function in children with dyslexia after training. In J. Hirschbuhl & J. Kelley (Eds.), Computers in education (47-49). Dubuque, IA: McGraw Hill.