Using Brain Imaging Studies to Support Behavioral Interventions for Students with Dyslexia Dr. Rebecca Putman, Tarleton State University Dr. Heather Labansat, Tarleton State University Abstract For many years, researchers have attempted to translate the science of reading into practical guidelines for educators; however, attempts to create a robust connection between research and practice in literacy education have largely failed. There is a renewed interest in the science of reading and in translating research into guidance for teachers and educational administrators. Neuroscientists have investigated whether the brain activation patterns of those with dyslexia can be normalized through behavioral interventions. Overall, the findings have suggested that intense behavioral interventions can contribute to a more normalized pattern of brain activation in those with dyslexia during reading tasks. Given the challenges of translating the science of reading into practical applications in educational settings, this article describes a science-to-practice translation of patterns and common characteristics of effective behavioral interventions for dyslexia as suggested by brain imaging studies. Results suggest that there are common characteristics of effective interventions for those with dyslexia based on brain activation patterns; however, there are notable variations in the length of treatment and in the treatment for older students with dyslexia. Introduction
In 2017, a young girl dressed up as United States Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for “Superhero Day” at her school. Her mom posted a photo on social media, and it went viral. Shortly after, the young girl received a personal letter from Justice Ginsburg that included this wisdom: “Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true” (R. Ginsberg, letter to Michelle Threefoot, 2017). Ginsburg obviously understood the power of reading to help dreams come true, but for some children who struggle to read, their dreams may seem out of reach. To help all students realize their dreams, especially those with dyslexia, educators must first understand reading from a cognitive perspective. This purpose of this article is to help educators better understand the reading brain and how patterns from neuroscientific research can provide support for behavioral dyslexia interventions. Reading Research Quarterly, a leading research journal on literacy, recently published to special issues on the science of reading (SOR) that featured articles by some of the most influential reading researchers. The goal of these special issues was to focus on the science (International Literacy Association [ILA], 2020). Generally, “SOR [is] an approach that prioritizes basic science and experimental work” (ILA, 2020, p. 3). Up to this point, there has been little consensus on an exact definition of what constitutes the SOR. The ILA (2020) defines SOR as “a corpus of objective investigation and accumulation of reliable evidence about how humans learn to read and how reading should be taught” (p.3). While a working definition is helpful, there still remains a lot of ambiguity surrounding how to apply this evidence meaningfully in educational settings. With a renewed emphasis the science of reading, there have been attempts by policy makers and educational stakeholders to legislate the application and use of this evidence in the classroom through required trainings, various curricula, and new guidelines (Seidenberg et al., 2020). Many educators find the evidence relevant to their daily practices, but as Seidenberg et al. (2020) note, 1|JOURNAL OF TEXAS SCHOOL WOMEN EXECUTIVES
