Online Video Training for Teachers to Improve Reading Skills in Children Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The aim of this study is to investigate , via a randomized control trial (RCT), the effectiveness of an online video training platform designed for teachers to support the improvement of basic reading skills of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This intervention will include 14 schools and 70 students with ID who require AAC age 6-14 years old. The research question is: 1\) What is the difference between online video training and in-person training on improving word-level readig skills and phonological awareness? The students will work with a reading material, Reading for All, that follow the strategies of Accessible Literacy Learning, developed by Janice Light and David McNaughton. Reading for All is based on the research of Janice Light and David McNaughton. The reading material are adapted for AAC-users and the students can answer with pointing or their AAC-systems. Teachers will implement the instructions at the students familiar place at school for three to five days, each week, for a year. The reading material consist of tasks in sound blending, letter-sound correspondence, phoneme segmentation, sight words, shared reading and decoding. The teachers will use evidence based, systematic and explicit instructions and immediate and corrective feedback