Ahead of maturation: Enhanced speech envelope training boosts rise time discrimination in pre‐readers at cognitive risk for dyslexia. Issue 3 (18th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Van Herck, Shauni; Vanden Bempt, Femke; Economou, Maria; Vanderauwera, Jolijn; Glatz, Toivo; Dieudonné, Benjamin; Vandermosten, Maaike; Ghesquière, Pol; Wouters, Jan
• Is Part Of: Developmental science. Volume 25:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-11-18
• Subjects: auditory temporal processing -- dyslexia -- intervention -- pre‐readers -- speech envelope enhancement; Developmental psychology -- Periodicals; Psychology, Comparative -- Periodicals; 155
• DOI: 10.1111/desc.13186
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1363-755X

Abstract

Abstract: Dyslexia has frequently been related to atypical auditory temporal processing and speech perception. Results of studies emphasizing speech onset cues and reinforcing the temporal structure of the speech envelope, that is, envelope enhancement (EE), demonstrated reduced speech perception deficits in individuals with dyslexia. The use of this strategy as auditory intervention might thus reduce some of the deficits related to dyslexia. Importantly, reading‐skill interventions are most effective when they are provided during kindergarten and first grade. Hence, we provided a tablet‐based 12‐week auditory and phonics‐based intervention to pre‐readers at cognitive risk for dyslexia and investigated the effect on auditory temporal processing with a rise time discrimination (RTD) task. Ninety‐one pre‐readers at cognitive risk for dyslexia (aged 5–6) were assigned to two groups receiving a phonics‐based intervention and playing a story listening game either with ( n = 31) or without ( n = 31) EE or a third group playing control games and listening to non‐enhanced stories ( n = 29). RTD was measured directly before, directly after and 1 year after the intervention. While the groups listening to non‐enhanced stories mainly improved after the intervention during first grade, the group listening to enhanced stories improved during the intervention in kindergarten and subsequently remained stable during first grade. Hence, an EE intervention improves auditory processing skills important for the development of phonological skills. This occurred before the onset of reading instruction, preceding the maturational improvement of these skills, hence potentially giving at risk children a head start when learning to read. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0BfT4dGXNA Abstract : In this study we investigated the effect of speech envelope enhancement (EE) as an early intervention in pre‐readers at cognitive risk for dyslexia. The EE intervention improved rise time sensitivity of children at cognitive risk for dyslexia. It showed that rise time discrimination can be enhanced before the onset of formal reading instruction, during the most effective period for interventions.