Reading Instruction for Children with down Syndrome: Extending Research on Behavioral Phenotype Aligned Interventions (original) (raw)

Research focused on identifying effective interventions for individuals with Down syndrome is increasingly informed by the behavioral phenotypea profile of performance associated with a genetic abnormality. Recent studies substantiate the efficacy of phenotypically aligned instruction in improving basic reading skills for children with Down syndrome. However, research does not yet relate the reading intervention with improvements in curriculum-based measures, including the reading of connected text. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of phenotypically aligned reading instruction on the acquisition of advanced graphemes (e.g., digraphs) for children with Down syndrome. Four children received reading instruction in their typical education environment. Although findings from proximal measures provide support for the intervention, performance on curriculum-based measures was mixed. Future research should continue to probe the impact of the intervention on a diverse range of skills. Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) have difficulty acquiring reading skills and, on average, display markedly lower standard comprehension and word-identification scores than other students with disabilities (Allor et al., 2014). Many children with ID require more intensive instruction compared to other students with reading difficulties (Browder et al., 2009). Although reading instruction for individuals with ID has historically focused on functional reading or sight words rather than decoding (Lemons & Fuchs, 2010), research as well as changes in the expectations and practices of educators have contributed to a better understanding of effective reading instruction for this population (Allor, Mathes, Roberts, Jones & Champlin, 2010). D. Browder et al. (2009) proposed a conceptual model of literacy for students with severe developmental disabilities, including children with ID, that targets two outcomes: (a) increased access to literature, and (b) increased independence as a reader. To achieve the first outcome, the authors recommended that instructors ensure sufficient opportunities for access (e.g., use of adapted books, time for literacy) and related instruction to enhance student engagement with literature (e.g., targeting text awareness, vocabulary, and listening comprehension in instruction). For the second outcome, Browder et al. recommended providing systematic, explicit reading instruction in alignment with the recommendations of the National Reading Panel (2000; targeting phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency) and ensuring that students have the opportunity to apply or generalize reading skills through text applications, functional activities, and writing. Although appropriate for students with ID, certain expectations of Browder et al.'s (2009) model may be particularly challenging for students with Down syndrome (DS) given the specific