A phonological awareness intervention case study of a child with Down syndrome

Abstract

Children with Down syndrome face considerable challenges in developing spoken and written language which can have serious implications for their social, emotional, and academic success. Given the persistent nature of these challenges it is vital that interventions to support this development address both immediate and longer term intervention effects. A case study evaluation was used to describe the speech, phonological awareness, and literacy development of Ben (pseudonym), a boy with Down syndrome aged 5;2 at the start of the study. Ben was one of 10 pre-school children with Down syndrome who participated in an integrated phonological awareness intervention designed to simultaneously facilitate speech, phonological awareness, and early literacy skills. The intervention was conducted over 18 weeks. Ben's speech and literacy development were monitored up to the age of 8;0 (34 months post pre-school intervention). The evaluation revealed continued speech development characterized by increased speech accuracy, an increased phonemic inventory, and the reduction of speech error patterns. Growth in letter knowledge and phonological awareness were apparent during the 34-month period and the generalization of these skills to early reading and writing was also evident. Early intervention which targets spoken and written language development for children with Down syndrome may be useful in supporting this development both immediately and in the longer term.