Treatment of lexical processing in mixed dyslexia: A case study

In the field of dyslexia, congnitive neuropsycholgical models provide a useful framework for detailed analyses of an individual's resding performance. However, the application of this work to remediation, especially in children, remains relatively unexplored. This study evaluates a lexical treatment programme that has been used succesfully in cases of adult acquired surface dyslexia (e.g., Coltheart & Byng, 1989; Weekes & Coltheart, 1986) in the context of severe mixed developmental dyslexia. The results indicate a significant treatment effect that is stable over time and that generalises to untreated words, to spelling, and to some aspects of sublexia processing. Questions releated to the use of adult models and methods for developmental conditions and the usefulness of such models in cases of severe mixed dyslexia are discussed. Issues related to treatment generalisation are also explored, with consideration of generalisation of lexical training to sublexical processes, improvement in reading of untreated words, and the effect of reading interventions on spelling performance. &copy 2002 Psychology Press Ltd.