This study investigated the reading comprehension scores of students with reading and language difficulties after reading a passage with and without text-to-speech (TTS). Students, ages 8 to 12 years, read five passages under the following conditions: (1) "silent read;" (2) "read aloud;" (3) "listen only;" (4)…

Providing support to a child with complex communication needs during shared storybook reading activities can be challenging. Storybooks often contain specific vocabulary items (e.g., character names) that are key to conversations about the story but would be difficult to add and of limited long-term use in an augmentative and alternative…

Adapted shared storybook reading has been demonstrated to be effective at increasing both engagement and comprehension during shared storybook reading for elementary-aged students with exceptional needs. Research on these methods has primarily been conducted with students in self-contained elementary classrooms and has lacked evidence of…

Secondary students with learning disabilities (LD) can benefit from using assistive and instructional technologies to support content and skill acquisition. Digital pens have features that can be beneficial for students who struggle with comprehension, note taking, and organization. Livescribe pens, in particular, provide a variety features that…

The Data-Informed Accessibility--Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND) project received funding in 2015 from an Enhanced Assessment Initiative grant to collect information that would inform the creation of professional development modules for educators making decisions within new accessibility frameworks. The DIAMOND project conducted…

Adolescents with learning disabilities in reading have difficulties with reading and understanding difficult gradelevel curricular material. One frequently used method of support is using read-aloud accommodations, which can be live read-alouds or text-to-speech (TTS) read-alouds. A single case alternating treatment design was used to examine the…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a digitized podcast to deliver read-aloud testing accommodations on mobile devices to students with disabilities and reading difficulties. The total sample for this study included 47 middle school students with reading difficulties. Of the 47 students, 16 were identified as students with…

This pilot study explores differences in oral narrative comprehension abilities between children with moderate-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss using hearing aids and their peers with typical hearing matched for age and gender. All children were between 3.5 and 5 years of age. Participants were read a patterned, illustrated storybook. Modified…

This study examined the effects of using sensory, augmentative, and alternative communication (AAC), and supportive communication strategies on the rate and type of communication used by three students with severe speech and motor impairments (SSMI). Using a multiple baseline across behaviour design with sensory and AAC intervention phases,…

This report provides an update on the state of the research on testing accommodations as well as to identify promising future areas of research. Previous reports by NCEO have covered research published since 1999. We summarize the research to review current research trends and enhance understanding of the implications of accommodations use in the…

The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has been tracking and analyzing state policies on assessment participation and accommodations since 1992. The purpose of the current analysis is to update information on these policies that was last reported by NCEO in 2008 (based on 2007 data). In addition, current state accommodations policies…

The goal of this study was to longitudinally examine relationships between early factors (child and mother) that may influence children's phonological awareness and reading skills 3 years later in a group of young children with cochlear implants (N = 16). Mothers and children were videotaped during two storybook interactions, and children's oral…

For postsecondary students with disabilities influencing reading performance, printed class materials pose a substantial barrier and have a negative impact on academic achievement. Digital technologies offer alternative ways of accessing print materials for students with print-related disabilities. Alternative media is a broad term that…

In two analyses, transcripts from 21 children (ages 3-6) reading and retelling stories with a parent over a six-week period were studied. Ten children with moderate-to-profound hearing loss used assistive technology and the Auditory-Verbal approach for language learning; 11 had typical hearing. In Analysis 1, no significant difference between…