This longitudinal randomized-control trial investigated the effectiveness of scientifically based reading instruction for students with IQs ranging from 40 to 80, including students with intellectual disability (ID). Students were randomly assigned into treatment ( n = 76) and contrast ( n = 65) groups. Students in the treatment group received intervention instruction daily in small groups of 1 to 4 for approximately 40 to 50 min for 1 to 4 academic years. On average, students in the treatment group made significantly greater progress than students in the contrast condition on nearly all language and literacy measures. Results demonstrate the ability of students with low IQs, including students with mild to moderate ID, to learn basic reading skills when provided appropriate, comprehensive reading instruction for an extended period of time.
The purpose of this study was to examine the promise and feasibility of a newly developed curriculum to teach early literacy skills to students with intellectual disability (ID) and students with low IQs. The curriculum texts were written to include familiar settings, high frequency words, natural syntax, and cumulative practice. A single-case design was used with multiple baseline across levels of instruction and included eight participants who had IQs spanning from 40 to 63. The study was conducted across one academic year in two private schools for students with special needs. Results showed that all eight students demonstrated significant growth on proximal measures of taught words, as well as growth on at least some curriculum-based distal measures. Additionally, the program was demonstrated to be feasible; the teachers implemented the intervention with high degrees of fidelity and expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness and practicality of the program.
Literacy offers individuals independence by creating opportunities for success in school, work, and throughout life. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 clearly states that all children, including students with intellectual disability (ID), should be included in the state plans that dictate content and achievement standards in reading. Research on early reading development and interventions demonstrates that virtually all children can learn to read if provided with appropriate and sometimes intensive intervention (Mathes et al., 2005; for a review, see Al Otaiba & Torgesen, 2007). However, this research has generally excluded students with IQs below 80, so much less is known about the literacy potential of students with ID.Fortunately, recent evidence is demonstrating that even students with very low IQs respond favorably to comprehensive research-based reading instruction when instruction is provided with sufficient individualization and intensity
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.