Improving Visual and Auditory Perception in Students with Specific Learning Disorder with Impairment in Reading through a Multisensory Educational Package
Keywords:
Specific Learning Disorder, Multisensory Educational Package, Visual Perception, Auditory Perception, Educational Intervention.Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a multisensory educational package (Colored Cubes) on improving visual and auditory perception in students aged 7–11 years with Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) with impairment in reading. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group and follow-up assessments. The statistical population consisted of children diagnosed with SLD with impairment in reading according to DSM-5 criteria, attending psychological centers in District 12 of Tehran during the 2024–2025 academic year. Thirty eligible participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 each). The research instruments included the Frostig Developmental Test of Visual Perception and the Wepman Auditory Discrimination Test. The experimental group received a structured multisensory intervention—comprising colored cubes, age-appropriate flashcards, and phonological awareness activities—across twelve 45-minute sessions, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA in SPSS-26 at a significance level of p < 0.05. The results of repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant group-by-time interaction effects across all dimensions of visual perception—eye–hand coordination, figure–ground discrimination, form constancy, spatial perception, and spatial relations—as well as auditory discrimination (p < 0.001). Bonferroni post hoc comparisons indicated that improvements in all perceptual domains were maintained in both three- and six-month follow-ups. Effect size estimates (η² = 0.17–0.64) confirmed a strong and stable impact of the multisensory intervention over time compared with the control group. The multisensory educational package (Colored Cubes) effectively enhanced and sustained visual and auditory perceptual functions in children with SLD and reading impairment. The integration of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities provides a promising framework for educational and therapeutic settings targeting perceptual deficits in dyslexic learners.
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