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Researchers
support early intervention for all children with reading
difficulties
American Educational Research Association
For more articles on disabilities and special ed visit
www.bridges4kids.org.
National experts in the field of reading and literacy have
found research evidence that challenges federal policy for
making children eligible to receive some special education
services. Currently, a child must score substantially higher
on intelligence tests than on achievement tests, without
exhibiting other traits that might cause academic
difficulties, to qualify for special education resources in
reading. A meta-analysis published in the summer 2002 issue of
the American Educational Research Journal questions the use of
this criterion in addressing reading difficulties of children.
With reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) legislation pending before the U.S.
Congress, researchers Karla K. Stuebing, FSD Data Services,
Inc.; Jack M. Fletcher and Josett M. DeLoux, Department of
Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center; G. Reid
Lyon, National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development; and Sally E. and Bennett A. Shaywitz, Yale
University School of Medicine, present research that supports
early intervention for all children who experience
difficulties learning to read, regardless of cause.
Their meta-analysis centers on the question of whether the
needs of learning disabled children, who have been identified
because of discrepancy between their intellectual potential
and their levels of achievement, differ from the needs of
children who do not demonstrate such a discrepancy but
experience, nevertheless, difficulties in reading.
The authors reviewed 320 potential studies and, through a
carefully constructed process, eventually selected 46 studies
that compare IQ-discrepant and IQ-consistent groups. According
to the researchers, "The overlap between poor readers
identified as learning disabled and those not so identified is
substantial, and little external validity exists for the
differentiation of reading disability on the basis of IQ-
discrepancy."
When discrepancy is used in federal regulations as a criterion
for establishing learning disability, ". . .the provision of
services favors children with higher IQ scores." This practice
might be justified if such a distinction resulted in increased
facility in reading skills or identified children with
different learning characteristics. The authors contend,
however, that there is little evidence to support that
assertion.
Instead, they report, "The solution is to carefully assess
reading and reading-related skills in students for whom there
is concern about reading." These assessments should address
the instructional needs of each child. Along with early
intervention, continuous monitoring of progress ". . .would
facilitate the ultimate goal of helping as many children as
possible learn to read adequately and return to general
education."
This study was supported by grants from the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, a component
of the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science
Foundation.
Editor's Note: Jack M. Fletcher can be contacted at the
Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science
Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin--UCT 2478, Houston, TX 77030 or
by e-mail at
Jack.Fletcher@uth.tmc.edu. To receive a full text of
the journal article, contact AERA communications, (202)
223-9485 or
outreach@aera.net.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA), which
publishes the American Educational Research Journal,
represents approximately 20,000 educators who conduct research
and evaluation in education. Founded in 1916 and based in
Washington, D.C., AERA offers a comprehensive program of
scholarly publications, training, fellowships and meetings to
advance educational research, to disseminate knowledge, and to
improve the capacity of the profession for the public's good.
AERA NEWS
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