Abstract
The purpose of this study was to describe reading instruction within the Response to Intervention (RTI) framework for students with ID and autism in three areas: a) participation in universal screening, b) reading growth across the school year on the screening measure (NWEA MAP-R, iStation ISIP, or DIBELS), and c) describe and compare business-as-usual reading instruction within general education and special education classrooms. Using an adapted model for literacy for students with severe disabilities, I explored the participation in and reading growth on universal screening measures and compared growth to classroom instructional practices for target students within this population. I sampled a total of 154 elementary students with intellectual disability or autism across three school districts. I describe their growth relative to the national normative group, their typically-developing district peers, and other students identified with a special education designation. A more in depth case study of eight students was conducted to explore if there were plausible explanations of how literacy skills were being taught to students within this population and whether their instruction varied from the general education setting to special education setting. Students with intellectual disability and autism have low participation rates in universal screening. Students with ID show growth until third grade while students with autism showed promising growth across grade level. Phonics and word study dominated instruction in the lower elementary grades while comprehension was emphasized in upper elementary. Across all students in the case study, there was no evidence of instruction in fluency or vocabulary.
Degree Date
Summer 8-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Teaching and Learning
Advisor
Dr. Stephanie Al Otaiba
Second Advisor
Dr. Paul Yovanoff
Third Advisor
Dr. Jill Allor
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Francesca Jones
Fifth Advisor
Dr. Chris Lemons
Subject Area
Education
Number of Pages
110
Format
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Stewart, Jennifer, "Observing Reading Growth and Instructional Practices for Students With Intellectual Disability and Autism" (2020). Teaching and Learning Theses and Dissertations. 9.
https://scholar.smu.edu/simmons_dtl_etds/9
