Braille-based remediation for dyslexia: No magic wand, but an effective, non-conventional solution

In a longitudinal field study, an Experimental group of 20 school students diagnosed as dyslexic, who had failed to respond to a variety of conventional remedial approaches, were taught to read tactile braille, and then used tactile braille to learn approximately 1000 high frequency words. Visual word recognition, passage-reading rate, passage-reading accuracy and reading comprehension were sampled at three-monthly intervals from commencement of braille training to end of follow-up. The Milton Word Recognition Test and the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability - Revised were used for this purpose.

Braille-based input ceased with the Experimental grOUJ? when visual word recognition performance on the Milton reached the 18th percentile. Visual reading performance was then observed over a minimum follow-up period of 12 months. Reading performance measures for all experimental group members taken upon entering braille training, upon cessation of braille training and at the end of the follow-up phase were subjected to MANOVA. Results showed that performance standards had improved significantly at each of these stages on all dependent variables. The word recognition protocols of 15 Experimental participants were then subjected to Interrupted Time Series Analysis. These procedures confirmed the improvements demonstrated in the MANOVA for 14 of the 15 participants and provided evidence for permanence of training effect.

In order to demonstrate the inappropriateness of using conventional remedial reading approaches with dyslexia, a Comparison group of 20 dyslexic students, comprehensively matched in terms of demographic characteristics, was identified from archival records. This group did not receive braille-based input as they had completed Year 7 (the upper limit of primary schooling) immediately prior to the commencement of this study. Milton Word Recognition Test results posted by these students across their primary school years were obtained from their files and graphed for visual inspection. These line plots visualize the continuing reading failure experienced by these students in the face of all attempts at remediation.