EFFECT OF BRAIN GYM AND WEB - BASED COGNITIVE TRAINING INTERVENTION ON VISUAL ATTENTION SPAN AND WORKING MEMORY IN CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA

Abstract

Dyslexia is associated with a weak working memory and visual attention span of children that impacts the academic performance.This study aim is to measure the effect of brain gym and web-based cognitive training on visual attention span & working memory performance in children with dyslexia. This experimental study consists of two groups. Each group has 11 children. One group received a brain gym intervention with six Super space movements (Brain Buttons, Space Buttons, Earth Buttons, Thinking Cap, Cross Crawl and Hook-Ups) for 5 minutes on daily basis for 4 weeks and an another group received a web-based cognitive training for 5 minutes on daily basis for 4 weeks duration. Before and after the intervention digit span forward, digit span backward, spatial memory test, stroop test were assessed to check the working memory and visual attention span. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to interpret the data. The statistical finding shows that there is a significant increment of visual attention span and working memory for the intervention groups. The study finding also shows the brain gym intervention successfully enhancing the participants working memory than the cognitive training intervention.

Keywords: Dyslexia, Brain Gym, Cognitive Training, Visual Attention Span, Working Memory.