iPad and repeated reading to improve reading comprehension for young adults with intellectual disability

Abstract

Background: The iPad is a promising tool for supporting the academic skills of students with disabilities, including young adults with intellectual disability (ID). These students may struggle to gain or retain employment because they lack functional reading skills. Therefore, improving functional reading will help these students comprehend text and master reading. Method: Using a single-subject design, this study is a comparison of repeated reading and iPad text-to-speech techniques for three young adults with ID. Results: The results show that two participants improved their reading comprehension in both conditions, with no significant difference between conditions. However, iPad instruction helped these students access text in almost one third of the time that the repeated reading required. Conclusion: This demonstrates that iPads may be effective tools for supporting the academic skills of students with ID.