Dr. Silvana Watson

Assistant Professor
Child Study Center
Old Dominion University

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Investigation of Difficulties Among Learners with High Incidence Disabilities

The literature on intervention with students with read-ing disabilities has reported mixed findings on treatment of reading disorders. This study will investigate whether all students with high incident disabilities have reading difficulties. The study will also compare differences in phonemic awareness reading abilities among those students with disabilities who have no documented reading difficulties, those who have identified reading disabilities, and those who do not have disabilities but are at risk for reading failure because of low socio-economic status. This study will also examine whether differences exist between reading patterns and learning rates of reading skills among the three groups of students. In addition, the project will investigate whether students with learning disabilities in the area of reading decoding have distinct instructional needs from other students with disabilities and students considered at risk for reading failure. This study will involve students from two urban, low socio-economic K-5 elementary schools (experimental and control schools). The following standardized assessment instruments will be used for pre- and post-assessment of reading skills: Comprehensive Test of Phonological Process (CTOPP, Wagner, Torgesen, & Rashotte, 1999), Woodcock Read-ing Mastery Test-Revised (Woodcock, 1998).