New Directions in Reading Instruction for Adolescents With Significant Cognitive Disabilities

Abstract

This article reports findings from a literature review on literacy instruction for adolescents with significant cognitive disabilities. Nineteen empirical studies published between 1975 and 2011 were included in the review and analyzed based on characteristics of interventions. The results were examined to determine whether the state of research in this area indicates a comprehensive approach to literacy for adolescents with significant cognitive disabilities. Results indicate that vocabulary instruction through sight word acquisition is still prevalent, instruction is not comprehensive, and instruction does not address recommendations from the field for adolescent literacy. However, innovative approaches to literacy instruction for this population are beginning to be explored. The current state of research on reading practices for adolescents with significant cognitive disabilities, implications for practice, and suggestions for new directions in research are discussed.

Integrating Functional and Academic Goals into Literacy Instruction for Adolescents with Significant Cognitive Disabilities through Shared Story Reading

“…In fact, during several of the baseline sessions, students were observed sitting passively with little interaction with other staff and students. This corroborates findings from previous research that indicates that teachers struggle providing their students with significant cognitive disabilities high quality instruction that provides access to the general curriculum (Delano, Keefe, & Perner, 2008Karvonen et al, 2011;Roberts et al, 2013). During these observations it was apparent that teachers and paraeducators seemed to struggle finding materials that were both age-and skillappropriate for their students.…”

Multicomponent Reading Interventions for Students With Intellectual Disability

“…In the last 20 years, there have been at least four published literature reviews related to reading instruction for students with ID. These reviews have focused on individual instructional techniques (e.g., shared story reading; Hudson & Test, 2011), an individual reading component (e.g., sight word instruction; Browder & Xin, 1998), or a specific subpopulation (e.g., students with significant ID; Browder et al, 2006; Roberts, Leko, & Wilkerson, 2013). However, these reviews have not provided an in-depth examination of the current state of multicomponent reading instruction for students with ID.…”

Reading in Children With Fragile X Syndrome: Phonological Awareness and Feasibility of Intervention

“…Additionally, it used assessment tools that were designed to capture variation in lower-level skills, and therefore, may be less subject to floor effects. Very little is known about reading development and its predictors in groups with ID during adolescence, despite evidence that individuals with ID can continue to make literacy gains during this development period (Roberts, Leko, & Wilkerson, 2013). Previous research has produced mixed results regarding the relationship between ASD symptom severity and reading-related measures in children with FXS (Adlof et al, 2015; Klusek et al, 2015; Nation et al, 2006).…”