Effective treatment of dyslexia: A meta-analysis of intervention studies

Abstract

Dyslexia is one of the most prevalent learning disorders that affects individuals throughout their lives. This meta-analysis summarizes intervention studies that have examined the effectiveness of treatments for German-speaking children with dyslexia. The aims were to quantify the effectiveness of different treatment approaches and to identify variables that influence treatment effectiveness. The mean effect size of programs that focus on the specific symptoms of dyslexia (e. g., reading and spelling trainings)was of significantly higher magnitude than the mean effect size of programs that focus on auditory and visual processing or more general functions such as speed of processing. Treatment effectiveness was influenced by treatment intensity and by the instructor, but not by grade level or severity of the reading and spelling disability. Implications for treatment and future research are discussed.