Parent perceptions regarding literacy instruction for students with intellectual disability

The characteristics of users of an online screening tool for children and adolescents with intellectual disability and of those being screened

Screening tools can help with the identification of intellectual disability, but little is known about who uses them. This study analysed anonymous information from 2691 users of an evidence-based, online, intellectual disability screening questionnaire for children and adolescents (CAIDS-Q) to explore the characteristics of the users and of those being screened. The users were split almost equally between parents/family members (48.6%) and professionals (49.9%), with the majority (63.8%) of the latter group being health staff. Significant differences in the characteristics of the children being screened were found, according to whether the user was a parent/family member or a professional, with the overall pattern suggesting that professionals screened children with greater complexity of needs, but about whom less was known. The screened children had a range of areas of difficulties that are common to those with intellectual disability. Implications for practice are discussed.

Storytelling, Creativity and Writing as a Tool for Building Sophisticated Social Skills

INTRO

The aim of the work is to prove the effectiveness of the recommendations developed by the authors for introducing the basics of storytelling into the educational process in the context of the development of sophisticated social skills.

METHODS

A survey method was used to determine students' knowledge of storytelling. Previously 52% of students used the storytelling techniques only partly in classes, and 30% of students are not familiar with the storytelling features and have not previously used them.

RESULTS

The survey revealed students' insufficient knowledge about storytelling. Comparison of students' skills before and after the experiment showed that the developed recommendations have an impact on learning effectiveness. Such findings are attributed to the fact that after the experiment 89% of students had high scores (90-98 points), while before the experiment only 15% of students possessed such skills, with their scores ranging from 82 to 90 points.

CONCLUSION

Research findings may be used to develop creative texts that, among other things, drive sophisticated social skills. Practical significance. The research findings may be used by future and present scientific journalists, television journalists and presenters seeking to improve their professional and creative skills which would help them to stay competitive in the media industry.

Home Literacy Environment and Interventions for Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review

PURPOSE

The aim of this scoping review was to map the research literature published in English and in peer-reviewed journals related to the home literacy environment of children and youth aged 3-21 years with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who have significant support needs, including children with complex communication needs.

METHOD

A systematic search was conducted in four databases, along with forward and backward searching. The search yielded 60 studies, which included intervention and nonintervention studies. Data were charted related to participant characteristics, study focus, intervention components, study design and methodological rigor, and study results.

RESULTS

Findings provided insight into multiple dimensions of the home literacy environment for children with IDD, including the nature of parent views, practices, and interaction styles during shared reading. Findings also revealed gaps in the literature, specifically related to (a) limited representation of subgroups of children and youth with IDD, (b) limited representation of diverse families and caregivers, and (c) concerns about methodological quality.

CONCLUSION

This review identifies important directions for future research and suggests ways to improve the design and delivery of home literacy interventions for children and youth with IDD and their families, including through family-centered and culturally responsive models.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22704817.

Concurrent predictors of word reading and reading comprehension for 9-year-olds with Williams syndrome

We examined the cognitive, language, and instructional factors associated with reading ability in Williams syndrome (WS). Seventy 9-year-olds with WS completed standardized measures of real-word reading, pseudoword decoding, reading comprehension, phonological skills, listening comprehension, nonverbal reasoning, visual-spatial ability, verbal working memory, rapid naming, and vocabulary. Reading instruction method was determined from school records and interviews with parents and teachers. Similar to prior findings for individuals with WS, reading ability varied widely, ranging from inability to read any words to reading comprehension at age level. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the primary concurrent predictor of word reading ability was reading instruction method, with a systematic phonics approach associated with considerably better performance than other reading instruction approaches. Phonological processing skills-as assessed by a composite of phonological awareness and verbal short-term memory-also contributed significant unique variance to word reading ability, as did visual-spatial ability. The concurrent predictors of reading comprehension were single-word reading and listening comprehension. These findings indicate that the factors that predict concurrent early word reading and reading comprehension abilities for children with WS are consistent with previous findings for typically developing children and that the Simple View of Reading applies to children with WS. Children with WS benefit strongly from systematic phonics instruction regardless of IQ. Instruction focused on improving listening comprehension is likely to improve reading comprehension, especially as word reading skills increase.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11145-021-10163-4.