Print Disability Overview
Source: http://www.aea9.k12.ia.us/en/programs_and_services/special_education/
Print Disabilities (Reading and Writing)
What is a print disability?
A print disability can be a learning disability, a visual impairment or a physical disability. Although the manners in which the disability occurs are very different, they all share one characteristic: individuals diagnosed with a print disability cannot access print in the standard way. Students who are unable to gain information from print at an anticipated level for their grade, need alternative access to that information and production options for written work.
How do print accommodations help the student learn?
- Accommodations are not reading and writing instruction. However, students can gain print skills when their independent reading and writing is supported through text readers, built-in comprehension supports, speech recognition software and other accommodations that allow the student to use text productively.
- Allowing access to the print material that needs to be learned for a class by providing print accommodations leaves open the door to that information and learning that comes from that text.
- Accommodations often build student independence.
- Students are more engaged with and accountable for the text they produce when independent written production opportunities are provided through accommodations and assistive technology.
What do people who are working with individuals with print disabilities need to know?
- A significant amount of planning and organization may be needed initially after identifying a student’s print accommodation needs. After the school staff has become organized and systematic in the provision of alternative text and/or written print accommodations, less time may be required for preparation and planning.
- It is important for staff to understand how to use the AT themselves to effectively teach use to the student.
- It is important for staff to use features that extend beyond simple text access or written production to higher levels of support for learning (e.g. comprehension strategies built into digital text; use of complex sentence structures in written material, etc.).
- The team should know how to collect data related to reading and writing goals and understand the relationship of AT to goal achievement.
- The team should be knowledgeable about interventions related to AT that can be introduced when progress toward goal is not being achieved. (E.g. change reading rate and/or reading units).
- The team should be able to prepare, manage and instruct the student’s use of the print accommodations “toolbox” or AT selection. Selection of the appropriate tool for the task and environment can allow the student to be independent in the use of text in many different environments.
- Team member roles may change as students become independent in their access to text and written text accommodations.
What is the goal for print accommodations?
- Independent access to text.
- Independent production of written work.
- Support for text use (comprehension, organization, etc.)
How does this information relate to all students in the classroom?
- Many students may benefit from study skill strategies that can be built into digital text.
- Some students may prefer accommodated access to some material (e.g. listening to a difficult passage from a publisher’s science book CD may help the student understand the passage more clearly). Note: Copyright may not allow alternate format without identified disability.
Where can I get more information?
More information is available on the Web using the following search terms: print disability, reading accommodations, print accommodations, writing support + disabilities: barriers to print; literacy + disability; writing support + disability; portable word processor + disability; speech recognition; word prediction or contact AIM-VA.