How IDD impacts reading
- Students with IDD often have working memory deficits. Due to this they have trouble with phonological processing because they are not able to keep the sounds in their mind long enough to blend them into words.
- Many students with IDD have communication needs. This makes it more difficult for them to tell the difference between sounds and make connections between phonemes and graphemes.
- Often students with IDD have trouble taking knowledge and applying it to a different situation, so comprehension, including vocabulary, can be difficult. This can cause the rate at which they learn to be slowed down.
References
Lemons, C. J., Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., & LeJeune, L. M.(2018). Ten research-based tips for enhancing literacy instruction for students with intellectual disability. TEACHING Exceptional Children, (50)4, 220-230.
Recommendations for instruction
- Students with IDD need to have carefully scaffolded lessons to help their working memory. The use of manipulatives such as pictures and letter tiles could be helpful during phonemic awareness activities such as blending and segmenting.
- To help students with IDD access literature, interactive read-aloud books and technology can be used to support comprehension skills of complex texts. Modification, such as visuals and voice output devices can be used to support students with foundational skills to become independent readers.
- Assessments can be given to IDD students in order to determine where interventions should begin and what skills to target. Frequent progress monitoring is important to ensure that growth is happening or if interventions need to be modified.
References
Browder, D. Gibbs, S., Ahlgrim-Delzell, L., Courtade, G. R., Mraz, M. & Flowers, C.( 2009). Literacy for students with severe developmental disabilities: What should we teach and what should we hope to achieve? Remedial and Special Education, 30(5), 269-279.
Lemons, C. J., Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., & LeJeune, L. M.(2018). Ten research-based tips for enhancing literacy instruction for students with intellectual disability. TEACHING Exceptional Children, (50)4, 220-230.