Neurocognitive Factors in EdTech Intervention Response

Description

The current project will carry out a large-scale, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to examine the effectiveness of a home-administered technology-based treatment for reading disability (GraphoLearn) in a diagnostically diverse children with reading disability (ages 6.0-10.00). To accomplish this rapidly and with minimal cost, the experimenters will leverage the Healthy Brain Network \[HBN\], an ongoing study of mental health and learning disorders in children ages 5.0-21.0 whose family have one or more concerns about behavior and/or learning (target n = 10,000; current enrollment = 3000+). The HBN includes comprehensive psychiatric, cognitive, electroencephalogram \[EEG\] and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging \[MRI\] characterizations for all participants, providing the present work rich data to build from. The present work will recruit 450 children (ages 6.0-10.0) with reading difficulty from the HBN. In order to evaluate GraphoLearn effectiveness the experimenters will compare reading (and related language skills) before and after a 12-week GraphoLearn reading intervention relative to an active (math) control. The experimenters also assess the stability of the reading gains by including a 12 week retention period ( with pre and post retention assessment). The experimenters hypothesize that they will observe significant gains in reading (and related language) skills relative to the math control conditions, but that these gains will be variable and predicted by participant and environment level factors (predictive models are explored under Aim 2). This evaluation will involve a 3 to 4 visit between groups longitudinal study with cross over elements to evaluate GraphoLearn in struggling readers ages 6-10 using and pre-post behavioral and EEG assessment.

Conditions

Reading Disability

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The current project will carry out a large-scale, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to examine the effectiveness of a home-administered technology-based treatment for reading disability (GraphoLearn) in a diagnostically diverse children with reading disability (ages 6.0-10.00). To accomplish this rapidly and with minimal cost, the experimenters will leverage the Healthy Brain Network \[HBN\], an ongoing study of mental health and learning disorders in children ages 5.0-21.0 whose family have one or more concerns about behavior and/or learning (target n = 10,000; current enrollment = 3000+). The HBN includes comprehensive psychiatric, cognitive, electroencephalogram \[EEG\] and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging \[MRI\] characterizations for all participants, providing the present work rich data to build from. The present work will recruit 450 children (ages 6.0-10.0) with reading difficulty from the HBN. In order to evaluate GraphoLearn effectiveness the experimenters will compare reading (and related language skills) before and after a 12-week GraphoLearn reading intervention relative to an active (math) control. The experimenters also assess the stability of the reading gains by including a 12 week retention period ( with pre and post retention assessment). The experimenters hypothesize that they will observe significant gains in reading (and related language) skills relative to the math control conditions, but that these gains will be variable and predicted by participant and environment level factors (predictive models are explored under Aim 2). This evaluation will involve a 3 to 4 visit between groups longitudinal study with cross over elements to evaluate GraphoLearn in struggling readers ages 6-10 using and pre-post behavioral and EEG assessment.

Effectiveness and Predictors of Intervention Response for a Technology-based Reading Intervention in the Home

Neurocognitive Factors in EdTech Intervention Response

Condition
Reading Disability
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

New York

Child Mind Institute, New York, New York, United States, 10022

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Must be 6.0 to 10.0 years old
  • * Must be currently enrolled in Healthy Brain Network (HBN)
  • * Must have a standard score \<85, on the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE), Total Word Reading Efficiency (TWRE) composite
  • * Must have full Scale IQ (FSIQ) on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC V) \> 75
  • * Must be a native speaker of English
  • * Vision or hearing impairment, per the Snellen Test and audiometer measurement
  • * Moderate to severe autism (levels 2-3)
  • * Major depressive disorder
  • * Suicidal or homicidal ideation
  • * Psychotic disorder
  • * Manic episode
  • * Any neurologic impairment that limits the ability to use a keyboard or mouse, or to touch a screen

Ages Eligible for Study

6 Years to 10 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Connecticut,

Nicole Landi, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Connecticut

Study Record Dates

2026-11-05