Toward Evidence-Based Literacy Interventions for Children with Severe and Multiple Disabilities

ABSTRACT

Children with severe and multiple disabilities constitute a heterogeneous population that typically experiences significant and lifelong difficulties in learning to read and write. These difficulties appear to be both intrinsic and environmental in nature. Children with severe and multiple disabilities struggle particularly with vocabulary acquisition and phonological awareness. Home, preschool, and school environments may limit literacy learning opportunities by making literacy a lower priority than the child's competing health, self-care, and therapeutic needs; by providing limited access to adapted print materials or tools; by providing limited access to communication supports; or by providing little time for literacy learning. Children with severe and multiple disabilities who have demonstrated literacy learning progress are often taught in technology-supported environments offering a wide range of word study, text-based reading and writing instruction, and opportunities for print exploration. Sufficient evidence exists for clinicians and educators to begin providing more successful literacy instruction to individual children and classrooms by comparing their children and intervention contexts with those reported in the limited body of research in this area.

Emergent literacy - early literacy - multiple disabilities - augmentative and alternative communication

REFERENCES

• 1 Kirk S A, Gallagher J J, Anastasiow N J. Educating Exceptional Children. Boston, MA; Houghton Mifflin 2003
• 2 Koppenhaver D A, Yoder D E. Literacy issues in persons with severe speech and physical impairments. In: Gaylord-Ross R Issues and Research in Special Education. Vol. 2. New York; Teachers College Press 1992: 156-201
• 3 Kirsch I S, Jungeblut A, Jenkins L, Kolstad A. Executive Summary from Adult Literacy in America. Princeton, NJ; Educational Testing Service 1993
• 4 Blackstone S W, Poock G K. Upfront.  Augmen Comm News. 1989;  2 1-3
• 5 Dahlgren-Sandberg A, Hjelmquist E. Phonologic awareness and literacy abilities in nonspeaking preschool children with cerebral palsy.  Augmen Alter Comm. 1996;  12 138-154
• 6 Dahlgren-Sandberg A, Hjelmquist E. Phonological recoding problems in children with severe congenital speech impairments-the importance of productive speech. In: Witruk AFE, Lachmann T Basic Mechanisms of Language and Language Disorders. Dordrecht, The Netherlands; Kluwer Academic 2002: 315-327
• 7 Bishop DVM, Byers-Brown B, Robson J. The relationship between phoneme discrimination, speech production, and language comprehension in cerebral-palsied individual.  J Speech Hear Res. 1990;  33 210-219
• 8 Smith M. Literacy and Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Boston, MA; Elsevier Academic Press 2005: 56-58
• 9 Light J, Smith A K. The home literacy experiences of preschoolers who use augmentative communication systems and of their nondisabled peers.  Augmen Altern Comm. 1993;  9 10-25
• 10 Coleman P P. Literacy lost: a qualitative analysis of the early literacy experiences of preschool children with severe speech and physical impairments [doctoral thesis]. Chapel Hill, NC; University of North Carolina 1991
• 11 da Ponte M MN. A formative evaluation of augmentative and alternative communication approaches to promote literacy in young children with severe speech and physical impairments [master's thesis]. Oxford, England; Westminster Institute of Education, Oxford Brookes University 1996
• 12 da Ponte M MN. When I grow up, I want to help my mother at the shop. In: Erickson KA, Koppenhaver DA, Yoder DE Wave of Words: Augmented Communicators Read and Write. Toronto, Canada; International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication 2002
• 13 Skotko B G, Koppenhaver D A, Erickson K E. Parent reading behaviors and communication outcomes in girls with Rett syndrome.  Except Child. 2004;  70 145-166
• 14 Smith A K, Thurston S, Parnes P, O'Keefe B. The form and use of written communication produced by physically disabled individuals using microcomputers.  Augmen Altern Comm. 1989;  5 115-124
• 15 Mike D G. Literacy and cerebral palsy: factors influencing literacy learning in a self-contained setting.  J Read Behav. 1995;  27 627-642
• 16 Koppenhaver D A, Yoder D E. Classroom literacy instruction for children with severe speech and physical impairments (sspi): what is and what might be.  Top Lang Dis. 1993;  13 1-15
• 17 Johnston J. Home and school literacy experiences of school-aged children with severe speech and physical impairments [doctoral thesis]. Boston, MA; Boston University 1994
• 18 Smith M. Reading abilities of nonspeaking students: two case studies.  Augmen Altern Comm. 1992;  8 57-66
• 19 Brooks H M. Uphill all the way: case study of a non-vocal child's acquisition of literacy [doctoral thesis]. Boston, MA; Harvard University 1995
• 20 Blischak D M. Thomas the writer: case study of a child with severe physical, speech, and visual impairments.  Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch. 1995;  26 11-20
• 21 Erickson K A, Koppenhaver D A, Yoder D E, Nance J. Integrated communication and literacy instruction for a child with multiple disabilities.  Focus Autism Other Dev Dis. 1997;  12 142-150
• 22 Decoste D C. Effects of intervention on the writing and spelling skills of elementary school students with severe speech and physical impairments [doctoral thesis]. Washington, DC; George Washington University 1993
• 23 Koppenhaver D A, Evans D A, Yoder D E. Childhood reading and writing experiences of literate adults with severe speech and motor impairments.  Augmen Altern Comm. 1991;  7 20-33
• 24 Erickson K A, Koppenhaver D A. Developing a literacy program for children with severe disabilities.  Read Teach. 1995;  48 676-684
• 25 Erickson K A, Clendon S, Abraham L, Roy V, Van de Carr H. Toward positive literacy outcomes for students with significant developmental disabilities.  Assist Tech Outcom Benefits. 2005;  2 45-54
• 26 Cousin P T, Weekley T, Gerard J. The functional uses of language and literacy by students with severe language and learning problems.  Lang Arts. 1993;  70 548-556
• 27 Allington R L. What Really Matters for Struggling Readers: Designing Research-Based Programs. 2nd ed. Boston. MA; Allyn & Bacon 2005
• 28 Sandberg A D, Hjelmquist E. Phonologic awareness and literacy abilities in nonspeaking preschool children with cerebral palsy.  Augmen Altern Comm. 1996;  12 138-153
• 29 Marvin C. Home literacy experiences of preschool children with single and multiple disabilities.  Top Early Child Spec Educ. 1994;  14 436-454
• 30 Butler D. Cushla and Her Books. Boston, MA; Horn Book 1980
• 31 Light J, Binger C, Smith A K. Story reading interactions between preschoolers who use AAC and their mothers.  Augmen Altern Comm. 1994;  10 255-268
• 32 Koppenhaver D A, Erickson K A, Skotko B G. Supporting communication of girls with Rett syndrome and their mothers in storybook reading.  Int J Dis Dev Educ. 2001;  48 395-410
• 33 Bruno J, Goodman J. Computer aided development of phonetic skills in non-vocal pre- reading children.  J Spec Educ Tech. 1983;  6 39-45
• 34 Kliewer C, Biklen D. “School's not really a place for reading”: a research synthesis of the literate lives of students with severe disabilities.  J Assoc Pers Severe Hand. 2001;  26 1-12
• 35 Kaderavek J N, Rabidoux P. Interactive to independent literacy: a model for designing literacy goals for children with atypical communication.  Read Writ Q. 2004;  20 237-260
• 36 Kliewer C, Landis D. Individualizing literacy instruction for young children with moderate to severe disabilities.  Except Child. 1999;  66 85-100
• 37 Ryndak D L, Morrison A P, Sommerstein L. Literacy before and after inclusion in general education settings: a case study.  J Assoc Pers Severe Hand. 1999;  24 5-22
• 38 MEville to WEville .Minneapolis, MN; AbleNet 2004
• 39 Nash O. You Can't Get There From Here. Boston, MA; Little, Brown 1957
• 40 Ylvisaker M, Coelho C, Kennedy M et al.. Reflections on evidence-based practice and rational clinical decision making.  J Med Speech Lang Pathol. 2002;  10 xxv-xxxviii