Multiple oral re-reading for subjects with alexia

Abstract

This series of case studies explored the relationship between reading profiles and the benefits of text reading treatment. This research was motivated by the finding that some subjects with deep alexia read aloud words presented in a text context more accurately than words presented in isolation (Silverberg, Vigliocco, Insalaco, & Garrett, 1998). The benefit, which was specific to closed class elements, was consistent with a model of sentence production that hypothesizes that open and closed class elements are retrieved differently (Garrett, 1984, 1990). The treatment method used, Multiple Oral Re-reading (MOR) (Moyer, 1979), was known to improve reading rate for subjects with word length effects (Beeson, 1998; Tuomainen & Laine, 1991) and may have been an influence in changing reading processes for subjects with word length and grammatical class effects (Beeson & Insalaco, 1999). Further, oral reading treatment employing text as stimuli was demonstrated to improve other language processes including auditory comprehension and spoken language (Cherney, 1995; Cherney, Merbitz, & Grip, 1986). Thus, the goals of this study were to determine who benefited particularly from text treatment and whether text treatment influenced other reading and language processes. Six subjects with acquired alexia associated with stroke participated in an AB case study design that included a baseline observation period between initial assessment and treatment. After the baseline period, they received 10 weeks of MOR treatment. Treatment was followed by assessment. Of the six subjects, three had grammatical class effects during single word reading (MW, ED, MEL). One of them (MW) improved oral reading rate and accuracy for single words and text at post-treatment testing. The fourth subject (MB), who read text more accurately and more quickly than single words, but did not have a grammatical class effect, did not change oral reading rate or accuracy, but during treatment increased the complexity of his pleasure reading. A fifth subject (SM) increased accuracy of oral reading of closed class elements at post-treatment assessment and was able to use that skill as a scaffold for improved spoken language. The sixth subject (LW) was already a highly accurate reader and showed no change, but continued to practice oral reading as an exercise.