Pursuing Equitable Access to Reading Instruction: Considering the Down Syndrome Behavioral Phenotype

Kaitlynn Fraze, PhD

Baylor University

Students with intellectual disability (ID) perform lower in reading than their typically developing peers. Over the last few decades education policy has shifted toward inclusion and even with research showing that students with ID can learn reading skills, further research is needed to  investigate what works for which students. Recent research findings suggest that the behavioral phenotype characteristic of Down syndrome can impact the development of reading skills.

The Down syndrome behavioral phenotype can impact reading development in several ways. Relative strengths in visual processing can aid in word recognition, but challenges with phonological processing make decoding and sounding out words difficult. Students with Down syndrome may take a more passive role during reading activities, using more nonword vocalizations and gestures and making fewer verbalizations. Addressing these similar characteristics when researching and developing new interventions could lead to more effective reading instruction strategies for students with Down syndrome.