Effects of Systematic Instruction and an Augmentative Communication Device on Phonics Skills Acquisition for Students with Moderate Intellectual Disability Who Are Nonverbal

Abstract

Percentages of correct responses to decoding probes (i.e., phoneme identification, blending phonemes to identify words, blending phonemes to identify pictures) were measured across three participants with moderate intellectual disability or autism in elementary school. Time delay and system of least prompts were used in conjunction with an AAC device, which enabled participants to produce phoneme blends and receive articulatory feedback. Participants were taught the initial levels of a phonics curriculum designed by the research team. Each level introduced a new set of three phonemes. During the five lessons within each level, participants were taught to identify letter sounds, segment and blend CVC words, identify sight words, read connected text, and answer comprehension questions related to the stories. Using a GoTalk 32 Express, participants produced target phonemes and words, as well as blended phonemes to form words. All participants improved across the three target skills, indicating a functional relationship between phonics skills and the systematic delivery of the phonics curriculum using an AAC device.