Why do interventions framed within the phonological hypothesis of dyslexia work? A treatment-focused analysis

Introduction: in the last decades, the Phonological Hypothesis of dyslexia has gained popularity into the field of psychology. This hypothesis holds that difficulties in learning to read are due to a neurocognitive disorder and, in consequence, suggests that the possibilities of learning and/or improving reading skills in these cases, depend on psychological treatments that correct or compensate for such deficiencies. The effectiveness of these interventions is often undestood as confirmatory evidence of the neurological causes of reading problems. However, the effectiveness of these interventions could be understood attending to their own properties, without the need to postulate specific effects (corrective or compensatory) at a neurological level. Objective: the aim of the present study is to characterize the interventions framed in the Phonological Hypothesis of dyslexia and to analyze the factors that influence their effectiveness. Methods: in order to achieve this objective, a content analysis was performed on a set of systematic reviews that analyzed the effectiveness of this kind of interventions. Results: the factors that influence the effectiveness of these interventions were identified and classified in three categories: 1) the dependent variable analyzed, 2) procedural aspects of their implementation and 3) the methodological rigor of the research. Conclusions: the specificity of the interventions framed in the Phonological Hypothesis of dyslexia is discussed and an alternative interpretation is proposed to understand their effectiveness. or unstructured, no longer than 250 words; written in the past tense and in the third person singular.