Reading comprehension difficulties are common in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), but the influences of underlying abilities related to reading comprehension in this group have rarely been investigated. One aim of this study was to investigate the Simple View of Reading as a theoretical framework to describe cognitive and linguistic abilities predicting individual differences in reading comprehension in adolescents with non-specific ID. A second aim was to investigate whether predictors of listening comprehension and reading comprehension suggest that individuals with ID have a delayed pattern of development (copying early grade variance in reading comprehension) or a different pattern of development involving a new or an unusual pattern of cognitive and linguistic predictors. A sample of 136 adolescents with non-specific ID was assessed on reading comprehension, decoding, linguistic, and cognitive measures. The hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation models. The results showed that the Simple View of Reading was not applicable in explaining reading comprehension in this group, however, the concurrent predictors of comprehension (vocabulary and phonological executive-loaded working memory) followed a delayed profile.

Decoding abilities in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are substantially lower than for typical readers. The underlying mechanisms of their poor reading remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the concurrent predictors of decoding ability in 136 adolescents with non-specific ID, and to evaluate the results in relation to previous findings on typical readers. The study included a broad range of cognitive and language measures as predictors of decoding ability. A LASSO regression analysis identified phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming (RAN) as the most important predictors. The predictors explained 57.73% of the variance in decoding abilities. These variables are similar to the ones found in earlier research on typically developing children, hence supporting our hypothesis of a delayed rather than a different reading profile. These results lend some support to the use of interventions and reading instructions, originally developed for typically developing children, for children and adolescents with non-specific ID.

Spelling is an important skill for children to acquire. Being a good speller is one component of being a good writer, and precise knowledge of words’ spellings also supports reading (e.g., Ouellett...

Background: Early numeracy interventions including basic arithmetic are crucial for young students at risk for early mathematics difficulties (MDs), yet few studies have evaluated numeracy interventions in second grade with a randomized controlled design. Aim: This pre‐ and post‐test randomized controlled study evaluated the effects of an intensive 9‐week numeracy and arithmetic programme for second‐grade students at risk for early MDs. The focus of the programme was students’ foundational understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts and procedural fluency with arithmetic tasks. Sample: A total of 753 first‐grade students from 21 schools in Sweden were screened for low achievement in number knowledge and arithmetic. Methods: Students considered at risk for MDs (≤25 percentile on two consecutive first‐grade mathematics screenings) were individually randomized to an intervention group ( n = 32) or control group ( n = 30) at the beginning of second grade (7–8 years old). Trained teachers administered the one‐to‐one, explicit programme to intervention group students in elementary school settings. The intervention group received numeracy instruction emphasizing foundational mathematics concepts and procedures. Controls received teaching as usual with potential special education support provided by their schools. Results: The intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in conceptual knowledge, arithmetic calculations and problem‐solving compared to the control group, with medium size effects observed. Conclusions: A supplemental and intensive programme, with explicit instruction emphasizing numeracy, substantially improved knowledge and skills essential for arithmetic learning. Instruction in conceptual number knowledge and procedures also shows a significant impact on basic arithmetic problem‐solving.