The U.S. Department of Education will give SMU’s School of Education and Human Development $3 million to study reading in students with mental retardation.
“Most educators believe children with mental retardation cannot learn to read, but that idea has never been empirically tested,” said Patricia Mathes, director of SMU’s Institute for Reading Research and principal investigator in the study. “We heard that about children with dyslexia, too, and now we’ve disproved it.”
Beginning in the fall 2005, SMU will work with 150 students from 10 Fort Worth schools. The university chose the Fort Worth Independent School District because studies there of students with dyslexia and other struggling readers have been successful. Mathes said this study may include some of the same methods from the previous studies.
“Nothing is unique to any population. Everything is about pacing,” Mathes said. “Struggling readers need more time, attention and the right methods.”
The study begins with students in the first grade whose IQ scores range from 45 to 60, which is considered moderately to mildly retarded. The research aims to help people with mental retardation learn to read well enough to live more independently. With better reading skills, they could fill out job forms, follow simple instructions and enjoy books and magazines, a recent press release stated.
The study will include randomized trials. Some children will receive regular special education curriculum, while others will learn from intensive intervention, including daily one-hour reading lessons and oral language comprehension. Mathes developed the phonics-based curriculum used in the intervention method.
The research team will test each group’s progress every three weeks as well as assess the children’s Individual Education Program, required by federal law for all special education students. The team will also communicate with the students’ parents throughout the study.
In addition to Mathes, SMU’s research team includes Jill Allor and Ian Harris, co-principal researchers, associate professors and fellows at SMU’s Institute for Reading Research, and Francesca Jones, project coordinator and doctoral candidate at the University of North Texas. Fort Worth ISD personnel will also be involved in training, coaching and evaluation.
“Fort Worth ISD is extremely pleased to be part of this study,” said Marsha Sonnenberg, the district’s executive administrator for reading. “We know that students who are mentally challenged can learn to read and be an integral part of our society.”
Nearly 600,000 children ages 3 to21 have some level of mental retardation and need special education, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department also awarded grants for similar studies to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Georgia State University.
To learn more about the study or the curriculum, contact SMU’s Institute for Reading Research at 214-768-8477 or 214-768-1988. To learn more about SMU education research, go to smu.edu/educationexperts.
