Adding Mindfulness to an Evidence-Based Reading Intervention for a Student with SLD: a Pilot Study

Abstract

Students with specific learning disability (SLD) are at a greater risk for reading difficulties, academic stress, and deficits in self-efficacy. There are several research-supported interventions used in schools that are effective in increasing reading skills (e.g., reading fluency) but do not explicitly address academic stress or deficient self-efficacy. A possible solution may be the addition of mindfulness techniques, as they have been shown to support a wide range of related student outcomes. Incorporating mindfulness through an app-based delivery approach may be beneficial in this scenario as they are low cost, easily accessible, and a simple tool to help meet the unique social-emotional and academic needs of students with SLD. The current study examined the extent to which adding a brief, app-based mindfulness intervention to an already established evidence-based reading fluency intervention (paired reading) would improve reading fluency, academic stress, and self-efficacy for a student with an SLD in reading.