Adolescents and Adults with Learning Disabilities and ADHD by Noel Gregg & Donald D. (frw) Deshler

Author:Noel Gregg & Donald D. (frw) Deshler
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Psychopathology, Special Education, Psychology, Medical, General, Learning Disabilities, Psychiatry, Education, Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD-ADHD)
ISBN: 9781606230343
Publisher: Guilford Press
Published: 2009-01-01T22:00:00+00:00

Reading Assessment and Accommodation

157

(in press) have identified five major functions of online reading com-

prehension: identifying important questions, locating information,

analyzing information, synthesizing information, and communicating

information.

Several methodologies are currently being used by researchers to

investigate online reading comprehension, including think- alouds (Leu

et al., 2007; Leu & Castek, 2006; New Literacies Research Team, 2007),

curriculum-based measures (Leu et al., 2007), and performance-based

measures (Coiro, 2006; Leu & Reinking, 2005; New Literacies Research

Team, 2007). Leu and colleagues (2008) encourage professionals to uti-

lize multiple- choice and short- answer measures to assess online reading

comprehension, as they are more time- efficient but still valid alterna-

tives for evaluating a reader’s abilities. One such instrument, the Digital

Divide Measurement Scale for Students (DDMS-S; Henry, 2007), is a

14-item forced- response measure developed to assess reading to locate

and critically evaluate online information. Unfortunately, this measure

is only normed for middle school students. In addition, Leu and col-

leagues have developed a checklist for observing a reader’s abilities to

understand and develop questions for an online search, locate informa-

tion, critically evaluate information found online, synthesize informa-

tion found online, and communicate information found online. Both

the DDMS-S and the Leu and colleagues checklists can guide profes-

sionals in creating either local norms or other measures of online read-

ing comprehension.

Accommodations for

Reading Comprehension Deficits

Underachievement resulting from reading comprehension disorders is

much more difficult to accommodate than that caused by decoding and

reading fluency problems. Read- alouds or extended time alone do not

always effectively accommodate the learning needs of individuals with

LD who are struggling with the meaning of oral or written language.

For adolescents and adults with ADHD whose executive processing

deficits limit their strategic thinking, organization, and revision, such

accommodations may also be limited in their effectiveness. Specific

reading comprehension accommodation options are provided in Table

5.2, based on current reading strategies and technology research. How-

ever, evaluators are encouraged first to answer the questions provided

in Figure 5.5 in determining whether an accommodation for reading

comprehension underachievement would be effective for an adolescent

or adult with LD or ADHD.

158 Adolescents and Adults with learning disabilities and Adhd

Different genres:

Question 1

Different graphic features

u Prose

of print:

u Documents (i.e.,

Has the reader been exposed to different

u Font

graphics, tables,

types of print?

u Spacing

illustrations, etc.)

u Page layout

u Electronic vs. paper

YES

NO

Consider impact on all

assessment outcomes

Question 2

Does the reader demonstrate a

significant reading decoding deficit?

Provide decoding

accommodation(s)

YES

NO

(see Table 5.2)

Question 3

Does the reader demonstrate specific

cognitive or linguisttic processing deficits?

u Word knowledge

u Listening comprehension

u Long-term memory

u Working memory

u Executive functioning

u Attention

u Megacognition

Provide reading

comprehension

YES

NO

accommodation(s)

(see Table 5.2)

Question 4

Does the reader demonstrate difficulties

utilizing specific strategies essential to

reading comprehension?

u Preparing to read

u Going beyond the text

u Organizing and restructuring

information

u Interpreting words and ideas in

the text (McNamara et al., 2007)

Consider other sources for reading

Provide reading

comprehension underachievement:

comprehension

u Lack of instruction

YES

NO

accommodation(s)

u Inadequacy of measures used

(see Table 5.2)

to assess reading comprehension

u Motivation

FIGURE 5.5. Questions to support decision making for the accommodation

of reading comprehension problems.

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