Increasing Comprehension for Middle School Students with Moderate Intellectual Disability on Age-Appropriate Texts

Abstract

Students with moderate intellectual disability experience a lack of comparable access to literature as compared to their nondisabled peers (Browder et al., 2009; Kliewer, 1998). Problems in access for many of these students may be attributed to low expectations and inadequate support on behalf of students as well as a lack of sufficient literacy skills instruction. Given these issues, the literature students are able to access often is not representative of their chronological age. Literacy interventions such as read-alouds have been successfully used in special and general education alike to provide students access to literature beyond their present skill level. Using a multiple-probe design, investigators read typical age-appropriate texts and examined the effectiveness of pairing texts with the picture symbols and discussion in improving student comprehension. Discussion and implications of the findings within this study are included.