TIES TIPS Foundations of Inclusion

Introduction

Often, students have favorite books or characters that enable them to learn from rich literary experiences. Individuals with disabilities should have the opportunity to engage in grade-level texts, connect memories, and learn from favorite books alongside their peers. Accessible texts promote comprehension through the use of adaptations that modify original print formats. This TIPS will outline considerations for choosing appropriate accessible grade-level texts for students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive classrooms. See TIPS# 19  for how to create accessible texts if one is not already available.

Evidence

Teachers have many choices to make when designing instruction targeting reading comprehension and reading across the content areas. The idea of modifying books or text is not new (Lee & Henderson, 2012). For example, students with visual impairments use large print or braille books that are adaptations of the original texts. Finding high-quality adapted versions of text that are appropriate for students with significant cognitive disabilities can be challenging. Changes to the vocabulary may make it difficult to determine students’ reading level. Chapter books often include many pages with small print, may not stay open on a page without physical assistance, and likely do not include pictures to aid comprehension. Additionally, barriers for students accessing print may occur due to fine motor limitations (for example, the ability to hold the book or turn pages). Teachers, as well as district committees during curriculum adoption reviews, need to recognize these challenges and be thoughtful in choosing appropriate accessible text options that are inclusive of students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Research Support for Accessible Grade-level Text for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

Language arts and content-area texts can be challenging for students who are emerging or beginning readers, because even when the text is read aloud by an adult, peer, or technological device, it can still be too complex for students’ receptive language (Hudson et al., 2013). Research using adapted texts when providing literacy instruction to students with significant cognitive disabilities has shown the following to be effective in increasing student engagement and their comprehension responses: (a) making adaptations to length, adding pictures, and repeating storylines; (b) including pictures or objects for student response options; (c) applying the system of least intrusive prompts when rereading a text ( refer to the text, highlight single sentence, point to the answer, state the answer; Hudson et al., 2013).

Implementation

Although grade-level text may be augmented or modified to make it more accessible to students who have a wide range of reading abilities, it is important to retain enough of the original text characteristics to ensure students are participating in grade-level standards. In inclusive classrooms, teachers provide opportunities for students with significant cognitive disabilities to interact with the original text to ensure language development, develop similar content background knowledge to their peers, and comprehend grade-level concepts.

Key features of well-adapted text

Questions to ask when choosing pre-existing adapted text

Do my students need an adapted text?

When determining if students need an adapted text, it is essential to consider the level of support each student may need in order to have equal access to grade-level curriculum. Additionally, determine if students can effectively demonstrate their understanding if they engage with the original text. It is important that special and general education teachers work collaboratively to make this educational decision and, if needed, plan appropriate adaptations to grade-level text that are tailored to meet individual student needs.

What is the purpose of the instruction?

When making adaptations to grade-level texts, a focus should first be placed on including the most important general education content the student should learn based on the identified content standards. This is vital because adapting texts can be done in multiple ways. Most of these ways include chunking information from the text, removing unimportant details, or by using an active voice. However, teachers should be mindful of the purpose of intended lessons and thoughtful that they are not removing supporting evidence or details that need to be included in the adapted text for students to adequately achieve the identified learning targets. Additionally, teachers also should consider what IEP goals or essential skills will be embedded into the lesson. For example, if the student is working on developing content vocabulary, adapted text should include that vocabulary multiple times and be included in the student’s alternative augmentative communication (AAC) system if the student uses one.

Can the general education text meet the identified purpose for students with significant cognitive disabilities?

After identifying the purpose of instruction, educators can review the grade-level text to determine the extent to which the text features (for example, titles, headings, glossary, illustrations, graphs) are available to promote opportunities for engagement. In addition to decreasing the difficulty of the text, additional communication opportunities can be increased by: (a) including frequent comprehension questions; (b) providing accompanying word banks for answering comprehension questions or discussing the book; (c) supporting students’ understanding of the text through the use of graphic organizers or timelines. Educators may also consider options for how students can access audio or visual text. For example, a teacher may pair the physical or digital book with a read-aloud, such as in the book Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan which is available as a free online, unabridged read-aloud form . The student can listen while viewing the text.

Adaptations may be necessary to support a student in making responses to comprehension questions. For example, when using a digital book, a focused comprehension question can be added to the text using presentation software (see image of colored box added to The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister). Once selected, the correct answer will turn or flash to provide students with immediate positive feedback. Another idea for adaptation is creating a slide version of the text, which could be projected in the classroom as a support for all students or could be accessed on a device. Each slide could include a recording with the adapted text and printed when a paper version is desired. Students who require communication support may need to be provided with word banks for answering comprehension questions or discussing the book, especially when vocabulary boards are not available.

For older students, chapters can be summarized and complex content adapted for each chapter when producing the slides. When adapted versions are created, a copy of the grade-level text for student reference is recommended. See the example from Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Is there an adapted text available?

If an adapted text is readily available, it is important that educators collaboratively examine the text to determine how many of the key features of a well-adapted text are present. Not every adapted book is created equal, nor does every adapted book meet the unique needs of all students with significant cognitive disabilities. Because there are many ways that adapted books can vary, teachers need to be able to effectively evaluate the quality and characteristics of the text to ensure it meets specific student needs.  The adapted version of City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau is an example of a text that offers many supports for students, such as less complex vocabulary with embedded definitions, picture supported text, and repeated storylines (for the full adapted novel see Project Impact: Inclusion Made Practical for All Children and Teachers , 2020).

Summary

Including accessible, grade-level text for students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive instruction requires collaborative planning by general education and special education teachers. It is essential that texts adapted for accessibility stay true to the original source to ensure age appropriateness and to keep essential features of the text intact. Teachers should work together to evaluate the quality of existing adapted texts to facilitate access and allow for authentic participation in inclusive settings.

 It is important to remember that condensed text should always supplement rather than replace the original text because the adapted version will not meet the purpose of all instructional goals. For example, reading a text to determine the author’s purpose, to determine how the author builds character points of view, or to determine the meaning of figurative language would all require the adapted text to maintain specific content from the original text. This point can further be made using the excerpt from Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White. The adapted version of this text could provide students with sufficient information to address the following learning target, “RL.3.1 I can answer who and what questions using the text and pictures in the story to show my understanding of the text,” but would be insufficient for addressing, “R.L.3.3 I can identify how characters are feeling in the story” due to the lack of information provided regarding characters’ emotions at that point in the story.  

When adapted texts are not available that meet the needs of the standard or align with the instructional plan, teachers may consider creating original adapted texts. To learn more about how to create grade-level adapted texts, see our TIPS# 19.