Answered Questions is a monthly resource for the Spanish language Disability Community that fills an information need. This month’s question is I was recently diagnosed with a learning disability. What research, information, and resources are available so that I can get the supports that I need to keep learning and working independently? This edition of Answered Questions includes items that discuss research and development of Capti-Record; the effectiveness of job-related services and supported employment for transition-age youth in the wake of COVID-19; a study that compared the employment outcomes for youth with learning disabilities and postsecondary education; urban and rural residents with disabilities may need different supports; and more. More about Answered Questions.
NIDILRR-Funded Projects:
The project Capti-Record: Improving Reading Fluency in Students with Reading Disabilities (in English) is a Small Business Innovation Research Phase I (SBIR I) project that does research on, develops, and evaluates the feasibility of the Capti-Record assistive reading technology to help students with reading disabilities to improve their reading fluency. The Capti-Record enables students to listen to any text narrated by text to speech or by their teacher, providing a model for fluent reading. This technology will give students the ability to improve their reading fluency and assist teachers in making targeted instructional decisions resulting in improved literacy for their students with reading disabilities.
From the NARIC Collection:
The article, Differential vocational rehabilitation service patterns and outcomes for transition-age youth with specific learning disabilities: Implications in the COVID-19 era (in English), discusses a study that investigated the relationship among demographic variables, vocational rehabilitation services, and employment outcomes for transition-age youth with specific learning disabilities (SLD). The results of this study indicated that age, gender, race, educational level, and cash benefits from the Social Security Administration were significant predictors of employment outcomes for this group. The findings support the effectiveness of job-related services and supported employment for transition-age youth with SLD. The article also discusses the implications for future research and practice in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The article, Comparing employment outcomes for youth with learning disabilities and postsecondary educational experience (in English), discusses a study that compared the differences in employment outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and cost-efficiency of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for youth with specific learning disabilities (SLD) and different education levels. The results indicate that youth with SLD receiving VR services who have postsecondary educational experience (PSE) experienced the best employment outcomes. The authors suggest that future research needs to investigate how specific VR services impact cost-effectiveness and how the intersection of race/ethnicity and disability may influence PSE participation.
Education:
The article, Effects of computer-assisted practice on reading and spelling in children with learning disabilities (PDF), discusses a study to analyze the effects of computer-assisted practice on reading and spelling in children with learning disabilities. Researchers worked with 85 children with learning disorders, whose spelling performance was two years below their grade level and examined the learning effects and transfer effects on words classified as a function of length, consistency, and complexity of syllable structure. The results of the study showed that reading training did not improve spelling; however, the children who participated in the copy training condition improved their spelling skills.
Interventions:
The article, Adapting the Unique Minds Program: Exploring the Feasibility of a Multiple Family Intervention for Children with Learning Disabilities in the Context of Spain (in English), reports the cultural adaptation of the Unique Minds program in Spain and the findings from a feasibility study involving three multiple family groups that included 15 children with learning disabilities and their mothers. The results of the study indicated an overall statistically significant decrease in the children’s self-rated maladjustment and relationship difficulties by the end of the program. The program had a high level of acceptability as the mothers and children felt safe, understood, and helped throughout the study’s sessions. The authors suggest future more rigorous study of the efficacy of the adapted intervention in Spain.
Resources:
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) discusses the definition of learning disabilities, defines different types of learning disabilities, and provides resources to more information for parents of children with learning disabilities, people with learning disabilities, and service providers.
- Understood.org works towards a world where people with learning disabilities may prosper in their homes, schools, work, and in their communities. They provide information and resources to people with learning disabilities, parents, teachers, and employers, along with the latest news on learning disabilities.
Technology:
- Cognitopia (in English) has a suite of web-based tools to help people with learning and cognitive disabilities set goals, develop routines, and manage their individual employment or education plans. These tools were developed under several NIDILRR-funded grants (in English) and are offered under a subscription model.
- Capti (in English) is an all-in-one online reading and writing solution focused on helping students with disabilities achieve their maximum potential in reading and writing and was researched, developed, and tested by CharmTech Labs, LLC under several NIDILRR-funded Small Business Innovation Research grants (in English). Capti includes components for K-12 schools and districts, colleges, and for independent use.
Further Research:
REHABDATA:
PubMed:
International:
About Answered Questions Each month, we look through the searches on our blog and through the information requests made by our patrons who speak Spanish and pick a topic that fills the largest need. Each resource mentioned above is associated with this month’s information need. We search the various Spanish language news sources and feeds throughout the month to bring you these articles. With the exception of the NIDILRR Projects, From the NARIC Collection, and Further Investigation, all the linked articles and resources are in Spanish – any that are in English will be clearly marked.
