Effects of modified orthography on the identification of printed words

Research has shown that instructional methods involving pairing pictures with print interfere with identification of written words. Preliminary evidence, however, indicates that use of modified orthography (where a line drawing is superimposed upon the printed word) may be effective for reading instruction with individuals who have mental retardation. In the present study, we used a single-subject parallel treatments design with 4 adults who had moderate to severe mental retardation. They received reading instruction under two conditions--traditional and modified orthography. Results showed that traditional orthography was a more effective method for word identification. The relative advantage of modified orthography over traditional orthography for individuals with mental retardation was not supported.