A Rhythmic Intervention to Improve Reading Skills in Dyslexic Adults: Evidence from a Single Case Study

Rhythmic Reading Training (RRT) is a computerized intervention for Developmental Dyslexia (DD) which combines sublexical reading exercises with rhythm processing training. The efficacy of RRT in improving reading skills of children with DD between the age of 8 and 13 has already been showed to be significant and comparable to other validated treatments. Following these promising results, we are now interested in investigating the effect of the intervention, suitably modified, on dyslexic adults. Here is presented the first administration of RRT to an adult with DD. G.T. is a 20-years-old undergraduate of average intelligence who received the first diagnosis of DD in primary school. G.T. took part in 10 individual sessions of 45 minutes over two weeks in which RRT was implemented by a trainer. The participant’s reading skills, verbal working memory, and rapid automatized naming skills were assessed before and after the intervention period. A follow-up assessment took place one month after the end of the intervention. Results showed that RRT enhanced both G.T.’s reading accuracy and reading speed of text, words, and pseudo-words. The highest improvements were recorded in reading speed, namely, the parameter that can usually be hardly modified in subjects with DD. Moreover, improvements in verbal working memory and rapid automatized naming occurred. These gains were maintained for a month after the end of the intervention. This first case study will encourage further research using RRT as an intervention for improving reading skills in dyslexic adults.