Article

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic disorder with a cognitive
profile that includes visual-spatial perception deficits and a high incidence of
reading disability. There is a paucity of information about how this cognitively
complex population responds to mainstream reading interventions. The clinical
trial goals were to determine whether children and adolescents with NF1 and
reading deficits (NF+RD) benefit from mainstream remedial reading programs and
whether responsiveness varies with differences in program-related visual-spatial
demands. METHOD: Forty-nine participants (28 males, 21 females; aged 8-14y) with
either NF+RD (n=17, 11 males, six females) or idiopathic reading deficit (IRD)
(n=32, 17 males, 15 females) were randomly assigned to intensive remedial
teaching using one of two multisensory reading programs: one with greater
kinesthetic demands and the other with greater visual-spatial demands. Two
control groups - wait-list IRD (n=14, 11 males, three females) and typically
developing readers (n=26, 13 males, 13 females) - received no treatment. Repeated
measures and multivariate ANOVA analyses compared each group's growth in reading
achievement from pre- to post-testing. RESULTS: Treated groups showed significant
growth whereas untreated groups did not. Comparing treated groups, the IRD group
responded equally well to both interventions, whereas the NF+RD group showed a
better response to the more kinesthetic approach. INTERPRETATION: Results suggest
that multisensory remedial reading teaching that emphasizes kinesthetic demands
more than visual-spatial demands is suitable for students with NF+RD.
CI - (c) 2015 Mac Keith Press.

Langue : ANGLAIS