Comparison of the Effectiveness of the Central Nervous System Reorganization Method (Doman-Delacato) and Neurofeedback on Improving Reading Skills in Children with Dyslexia

Abstract

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the central nervous system reorganization method (Doman-Delacato) and neurofeedback on improving reading skills in children with dyslexia. This research is applied in terms of its objective and is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test, and control group design in terms of the nature of the data. The statistical population included all students aged 10 to 13 with reading disorders who attended the Omid Learning Disorders Center in Quchan during the 2019–2020 academic year. The sample consisted of 45 participants selected through convenience sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and randomly assigned to three groups: experimental group 1 (15 participants), experimental group 2 (15 participants), and a control group (15 participants). Data collection was conducted using the Reading and Dyslexia Test by Karami Nouri and Moradi (2005). Before implementing the independent variables, namely the central nervous system reorganization method (Doman-Delacato) and neurofeedback, the participants in all three groups were assessed using a pre-test measuring reading skills in children with dyslexia. Experimental group 1 underwent the central nervous system reorganization method (Doman-Delacato), and experimental group 2 underwent neurofeedback training, while no independent variable was applied to the control group. At the end of the intervention, the dependent variable (reading skills in children with dyslexia) was measured in all three groups using a post-test. For statistical analysis, parametric one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and repeated measures ANOVA were performed using SPSS software. The results of the ANOVA test, conducted to examine differences in mean scores between the groups at the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages for reading skills, revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups at any stage (p > 0.05). However, the results of the repeated measures ANOVA indicated that over time, significant differences in mean scores were observed in the Doman-Delacato and neurofeedback groups (p < 0.05), while no significant difference was found over time in the control group. The findings of the study and the hypotheses testing demonstrated that the central nervous system reorganization method (Doman-Delacato) and neurofeedback are effective approaches for improving reading skills in children with dyslexia.