Partnership for Accessible Reading Assessment - Disabilities and Reading: Understanding the Effects of Disabilities and Their Relationship to Reading

2009

This report is intended to provide enough common ground on the issues surrounding reading and students with various disabilities to facilitate discussion of accessible reading assessment. The information in this report was obtained through a broad review of literature and Web sites of national agencies and organizations, along with input and feedback from professionals in the disability areas. It is not intended to be a comprehensive research review of disabilities or reading-related issues, but nevertheless should prove useful for understanding the effects of disabilities and their relationship to reading. Seven disabilities are discussed in the order of their prevalence. These are: specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, mental retardation, emotional/behavioral disabilities, autism, deaf or hard of hearing, and visual impairments. Although these disabilities do not comprise all of the possible disability categories or even the most common disabilities, they do represent those often considered most challenging for reading assessment. This report provides: (1) an overview of the characteristics of students with each disability, (2) a description of common approaches to reading instruction for students with each disability, and (3) assessment approaches and issues that surround the assessment of reading for students with each disability. http://www.readingassessment.info/resources/index.htm

Reports and monographs

Professionals

Electronic (disc, CD, 508 compliant web posting)

N/A