What is Cellfield?
Cellfield is an intense computer based program, which aims to strengthen auditory, visual and reading related motor skills associated with reading. It is a language based intervention, which uses acoustically modified sound to assist auditory perception. Aural representations of words are broken down into sound units and accompanied by their visual representation.
How Does It Work?
Brain imaging has shown that children with reading disorders have abnormal and inefficient neural "wiring", which makes it unlikely that skills required for reading fluency are achievable using conventional methods. Fluent readers use the left hemisphere of their brain in an efficient way to decode words and make sense of what they read. Poorer readers use both sides of the brain in a less connected efficient way.
Pre-Assessment
All Clients interested in the Cellfield Program must be over 9 years of age. A pre-program assessment is completed (usually 2 hours duration) to assess their suitability. An optometric examination is also necessary prior to commencement of the program.
Intervention
Phase 1 of the Cellfield Intervention consists of 10 one hour sessions. During these sessions the children work on a computer and are supervised by a Speech Pathologist.
Post Assessment
After the initial 10 sessions, a post assessment is conducted to measure progress made during the "rewiring" phase. Parallel forms of the original tests are used so prior exposure to the test does not invalidate results.
Phase 2
Phase 2 involves practicing the newly acquired skills and reinforcing the new neural connections.
A structured program is implemented by the Speech Pathologist to promote reading fluency and comprehension.
The second phase is usually done in groups of 2 to 3 children and is aimed at being fun and motivating.
Evidence
Each Cellfield practitioner gathers pre and post test data on every child who undergoes the program. These results are sent back to Cellfield headquarters where they are complied and analyzed.
Research conducted at Griffith University and published in The Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities (Volume 2, Number 2, 2005) indicates that the Cellfield program has a positive impact on reading related skills, oral reading proficiency and ocular measures.
Professionals using Cellfield in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have reported average
comprehension gains of 1 year and gains in word attack skills of almost 2 years.
For further information on Cellfield visit their website or contact us.