نیما اردلان

Specific learning disorder is a developmental neurological disorder in which reading difficulties are the most common symptoms of this disorder. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a metronome-based cognitive rehabilitation package and its effectiveness on executive functions, phonological awareness, and reading performance of dyslexic students. This study was a mixed exploratory (quantitative and qualitative) study. In the qualitative part, the program was developed using a meta-synthesis method from articles in databases between ۲۰۰۰ and ۲۰۲۴ and was approved by experts in this field. Then, using a quasi-experimental method with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group, ۳۰ boys aged ۹ to ۱۱ with dyslexia were selected in ۱۴۰۳ using a convenience method and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The metronome-based cognitive rehabilitation program was held in ۱۵ one-hour sessions. To collect data, the Executive Functions Scale-Brief by Gioia et al. (۲۰۰۰), the Phonological Awareness Test (Dastajardi and Soleimani, ۲۰۰۳), and the Reading Skills Test (Karimi Noori and Moradi, ۲۰۰۷) were used. The program was analyzed using the content analysis method and the data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of covariance in    version ۲۷ software. The results showed that the average relative content validity coefficient and content validity index of the package were ۰.۹۵ and ۰.۹۸, respectively, and the Holst coefficient was ۰.۷۸, which indicated that the package had appropriate validity. Statistical findings showed significant changes in executive functions, phonological awareness, and reading performance at the post-test and follow-up stages. The results of the study showed that the metronome-based cognitive rehabilitation program was effective on executive functions, phonological awareness, and reading performance in dyslexic students; Therefore, this program can be used as an effective program in cognitive rehabilitation of dyslexic students.