Neurofeedback, TMS, vision therapy or brain training? What the research says about reading.
Your child already has a tutor. Here’s what else is out there, and what each one does for children with dyslexia.
The short version: most of these are untested for reading, or were tested and didn’t help. One, a gentle electrical stimulation called tDCS worn during reading practice, has promising trials.
Start with what works best
Structured literacy is explicit, step-by-step teaching of how sounds map to letters. Orton-Gillingham, Wilson and Barton are well-known versions. It has the strongest evidence of any approach for dyslexia (Hall et al. 2023; Galuschka et al. 2014). It works, but often slowly, especially for older kids. Keep it, and add to it.
The options side by side
| Option | What it involves | What studies show for reading | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neurofeedback | Sensors read brainwaves and a screen rewards the child for changing them, usually over 6 to 35 clinic sessions. | A 2025 review of 12 studies found no clear evidence that neurofeedback improves reading, and the best controlled trial improved spelling but not reading. | No effect found |
| TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) | A magnetic coil held against the head in a clinic. There’s no standard course for reading; for other uses it’s daily for four to six weeks. | One small study in adults saw brief gains from single sessions. No published controlled trials of TMS courses for reading in children. | Untested |
| tDCS (gentle electrical stimulation) during reading practice | A gentle current through two pads on the head while the child reads, 3 sessions a week for 6 weeks in trials. | Children read unfamiliar and made-up words (a test of sounding out) faster and more accurately than children given a placebo, with gains lasting 6 months in the longest follow-up. A 2025 review counted 11 studies, 225 children in all. | Promising evidence |
| Arrowsmith Program | Daily cognitive exercises, in some schools for several periods a day over 3 to 4 years. | No randomized trials, and independent reviews found little robust evidence that reading improves. | Untested |
| Brain Balance | A physical, sensory and diet program, about 5 to 6 months. | No controlled study with reading tests; the published reports are company-run parent surveys. | Untested |
| Brain-training software (Fast ForWord, Cogmed) | Computer games that train hearing speech sounds (Fast ForWord) or memory and attention (Cogmed), daily for 5 to 16 weeks. | Children get better at the games, but reviews of Fast ForWord and of memory training both found no effect on reading. | No effect found |
| Vision therapy and colored glasses | Weekly eye exercises with an optometrist, or colored glasses or see-through colored sheets laid over the page. | Pediatric and eye-doctor societies advise against both, and a 2016 review found no good evidence that colored glasses or sheets help. | Advised against |
Where NeuroLingo comes in
We reviewed the evidence for every option above, looking for a way to speed up the gains from tutoring, and landed on tDCS. It has the most promising research, and unlike TMS or clinic-based neurofeedback, it fits in a headband you can use at home, with no professional setup.
NeuroLingo is worn during the reading practice your child already does: 20 minutes, three times a week, at home or with a tutor.
Slide it on.
Press two fresh saline pads into the headband and slide it on like a pair of glasses.
Press the button.
A light tingle under the pads for the first few minutes, then most children stop noticing it. The session stops on its own after 20 minutes.
Read as usual.
Your child does their usual reading practice while wearing it.
Stimulation at this level has been used in research for more than twenty years, including thousands of sessions with children. Side effects are mild: the tingle, and sometimes redness under the pads that fades within minutes.
For ages 6 and up. Try it for 90 days or your money back. Ships within 8 weeks. Not ready? Get the research summary
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Sources
- Structured literacy: Hall et al. 2023; Galuschka et al. 2014
- Neurofeedback: López-Zamora et al. 2025, Annals of Dyslexia; Breteler et al. 2010
- TMS: Costanzo et al. 2013, Neuropsychologia
- Vision therapy: AAP, AAO and AAPOS joint statement 2009; Joint technical report, Pediatrics 2011
- Colored glasses and sheets: Griffiths et al. 2016
- Arrowsmith: Institute of Special Educators review 2025; Arrowsmith research page
- Fast ForWord: Strong et al. 2011
- Memory training (Cogmed): Melby-Lervåg, Redick and Hulme 2016
- Brain Balance: NPR 2018; Jackson and Jordan 2023
- tDCS: Costanzo et al. 2016; Costanzo et al. 2019; Battisti et al. 2022; Constantino et al. 2025