Reading against all odds: a pilot study of two deaf students with dyslexia.

Abstract

Learning to read and write is a challenge for most deaf children due to their limited experiences with, and access to, spoken language. In the case of deaf students who have difficulty processing visual print, literacy becomes an even greater challenge. The study piloted an intervention procedure that incorporated the principles of automaticity, repetition, functional vocabulary, and a positive teacher-student relationship as recommended in programs for struggling readers and adapted them to the needs of two deaf high school students with dyslexia in an American Sign Language-English bilingual program. The findings reveal gains in reading ability on the formal measures, though not more than would be expected over a 6-month period simply due to development. The real improvements were noted in the students' attitudes toward literacy, improved social interaction, and increased self-confidence.

• Authors: Charlotte Enns, Lori Dustan Lafond
• Journal: American annals of the deaf (Am Ann Deaf) Vol. 152 Issue 1 Pg. 63-72 ( 2007) ISSN: 0002-726X [Print] United States
• PMID: 17642365 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Child
• Deafness (epidemiology)
• Dyslexia (diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Educational Status
• Humans
• Male
• Pilot Projects
• Reading
• Sign Language
• Students
• Vocabulary