Teaching Word Recognition to Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

Learning to read affords individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) a means to function in a literate society. However, one of the most overwhelming challenges for children with ID to accomplish is learning how to read independently. In this study a three-step decoding strategy was used with a constant time delay procedure to teach word reading to children with ID using a phonics-based curriculum. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design with two intervention phases was used to examine the percentage of letter-sounds correctly decoded and the percentage of words read correctly. The findings indicated that all the children learned to read words using the three-step decoding strategy and constant time delay procedure. It was also noted that across all children letter-sound decoding accuracy outpaced word reading accuracy. Although each child made gains in reading words, these gains were not sufficient to infer generalization. These results suggest that the decoding strategy and time delay procedure may be effective at instructing children with ID who are having a difficult time blending sounds together to read word, but additional supports are warranted.