Literacy Interventions for Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Inclusive Postsecondary Education Settings

A Review of a Program of Research

Abstract

Many students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) enrolled in postsecondary education do not derive full benefits of attending college because of their limited academic skills. This review summarizes a series of experimental studies that investigated the effects of interventions that targeted reading and writing skills for young adults with IDD enrolled in an authentic postsecondary education setting. Results of the review suggest that young adults with IDD can benefit from explicit instruction and cognitive strategy instruction. Effective academic intervention should be adaptive to the diverse learning needs of the students while providing a scaffold that supports their motivation and their persistence.