A Computer-Assisted Intervention Program for Dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia is a specific learning disorder of neurobio‐ logical origin that causes a reading impairment. Since music and language share common mechanisms and the core deficit underlying dyslexia has been identified in difficulties in dynamic and rapidly changing auditory information processing, it has been argued that enhancing basic musical rhythm perception skills in chil‐ dren with dyslexia may have a positive effect on reading abilities. Therefore, active engagement with music provides an enjoyable environment that may improve motivation of children and thus enhance the efficacy of the intervention. Taking these findings and hypotheses into account, a computer-assisted training, called Rhythmic Reading Training (RRT), was designed to implement a treatment which combines a traditional approach (sublexical treatment) with rhythm processing training. Some preliminary test-training-retest studies showed the efficacy of RRT intervention on reading abilities of children with dyslexia.