# Oculomotor Training Improves Reading and Associated Cognitive Functions in Children with Learning Difficulties: A Pilot Study

## TL;DR

A pilot study found that oculomotor training improved reading and related skills in children with learning difficulties.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates that office-based oculomotor training can enhance reading and cognitive functions in children.

## Key findings

- Oculomotor training improved reading skills in children with learning difficulties.
- Training also enhanced visuo-perceptual abilities and crowding resolution.
- Improvements were specific to the oculomotor training group.

## Abstract

In the first years of schooling, inefficient eye movements can impair the development of reading skills. Nonetheless, the improvement of these abilities has been little investigated in children. This pilot study aimed to verify the effectiveness of Office Based Oculomotor Training (OBOT) in enhancing reading skills in ‘poor’ readers. Twenty-one children (aged 7–12 years) underwent an assessment of reading, visual, and perceptual abilities before and after a training of oculomotor skills (i.e., execution of saccadic movements with symbol charts in various modes and types; 14 participants) or a simple reading exercise (7 participants). The overall duration of the training was six weeks. The results showed a specific improvement, in the group subjected to oculomotor training only, not only in oculomotor abilities but also in reading, visuo-perceptual skills, and the ability to resolve crowding. These primary results suggest that the improvement of oculomotor abilities can lead to an indirect increase in reading in developmental age.