Reading instruction for students with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication: A multiple single case study with baseline, posttest, follow-up, and maintenance

The purpose of the current study was to examine whether seven children, aged 6–10 years, with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication, could acquire phonological awareness and reading skills by using a reading material that is based on research on the evidence-based reading program Accessible literacy learning. The effect of the measures has been examined using a multiple single-case design with baseline, posttest, follow-up, and maintenance. All the teachers were trained to deliver the reading intervention in the students’ familiar place at school. The results indicated that students with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication could acquire phonological awareness and decoding by working systematically with reading material based on evidence-based strategies. •Students with intellectual disabilities who use AAC can acquire reading skills.•Combining several reading components together with systematic and explicit teaching gives best effect acquiring reading skills.