Using a Literacy Based Behavioral Intervention to Teach College Students with Intellectual and Developmental...

Area of Science:

• Education
• Behavioral Science
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Postsecondary education enrollment is increasing for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
• Many students with IDD struggle with essential self-advocacy skills, such as requesting academic accommodations.
• Effective self-advocacy is crucial for academic success in postsecondary settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of literacy-based behavioral interventions (LBBIs) for teaching self-advocacy skills to postsecondary students with IDD.
• To assess the ability of students with IDD to learn and utilize a specific self-advocacy skill: requesting and using an online lecture recording tool.
• To determine if a pre-service teacher can effectively deliver an LBBI to this student population.

Main Methods:

• A pre-service teacher was trained to implement a literacy-based behavioral intervention (LBBI).
• The LBBI was delivered to postsecondary students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
• The intervention focused on teaching students to request and use a free online tool for recording class lectures.

Main Results:

• Students with IDD successfully mastered the skill of requesting and using the online lecture recording tool.
• The learned self-advocacy skill was maintained by students even after the intervention was removed.
• The pre-service teacher successfully delivered the LBBI, demonstrating its feasibility.

Conclusions:

• Literacy-based behavioral interventions (LBBIs) are effective for teaching self-advocacy skills to postsecondary students with IDD.
• This intervention supports students with IDD in accessing necessary academic accommodations, like lecture recording tools.
• The findings highlight a practical approach to enhance educational success and independence for students with IDD.