An Inclusive Approach to Improving Early Literacy Skills of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.

The relationship between maladaptive social behavior and academic under-achievement has been well established over the past two decades (Coutinho, 1986; Fessler, Rosenberg, & Rosenberg, 1991 ; Hinshaw, 1992a; Rock, Fessier, & Church, 1997). Although there have been some attempts to explain the relation between inappropriate behavior and academic failure (Coie & Kriehbiel, 1984; Hinshaw, 1992b; Lane, 1999; Lane, O'Shaughnessy, Lambros, Gresham, & Beebe-Frankenberger, 2001), the exact direction of this phenomenon has not been identified. What is evident, however, is that the ongoing relation between these two constructs leads to extremely poor outcomes-both within and beyond the school setting-for students who show difficulty in both academic performance and social behavior. For example, data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) (Wagner, 1995; Wagner, D'Amico, Marder, Newman, & Blackorby, 1992) indicate that: (a) students with emotional disturbance have the lowest grade point average of all disability categories; (b) approximately 50% have failed one or more courses in their most recent school year; (c) over 66% have failed the competency exam for their grade level; and (d) only one-third of students with emotional disturbance have completed high school. As a result, it seems important that treatment plans for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) should address not only the social deficiencies of this population but also their academic needs, as well. Unfortunately, several descriptive studies on children with EBD have shown that little attention is focused on the academic problems characteristic of these children (Knitzer, Steinberg, & Fleisch, 1990; Levy & Vaughn, 2002; Wehby, Symons, Canale, & Go, 1998; Wehby, Symons, & Shores, 1995).Among the academic problems shown by children with EBD, difficulty in the area of reading has received the most attention in the research literature. This emphasis on reading has several origins. First, measures of reading performance have been among the primary variables used in a number of epidemiological investigations of antisocial behavior (e.g., McMichael, 1979; Rutter & Yule, 1970; Sturge, 1982). Each of these studies reported a significant relation between poor reading performance and EBD. Second, as reported by Coutinho (1986), the early deficits in reading shown by school-age students with EBD, compared to non-disabled students, increase as these students continue through school. Finally, the demand for effective reading instruction for all children has grown to incorporate students with and at risk for high-incidence disabilities, including those students with EBD (Falk & Wehby, 2001; Lane, 1999; Lane et al., 2002). Taken together, these influences have led to a closer examination of the current knowledge base regarding reading interventions for students with EBD.Reading Interventions for Students with EBDColeman and Vaughn (2000) recently reviewed the reading research literature for students with EBD and identified only eight studies that included this population of students. Although the majority of the studies reported improvement in the reading performance of students with EBD, the limited number of reviewed studies prevented the authors from making generalized statements about specific reading strategies to be used with this group. Likewise, most of the studies reviewed were conducted with students who were enrolled in the later elementary grades (second-sixth grade). However, for many students with EBD, interventions implemented at these grade levels may have minimal longterm impact. Students exhibiting poor reading ability by the end of first grade are likely to remain deficient in their reading skills for the remainder of their school careers (Juel, 1988; Snow, 1991). Therefore, students who show early deficits-both in reading and social behavior-are at the greatest risk for school failure (Coie & Jacobs, 1993; Lonigan, Bloomfield, Anthony, Bacon, Phillips, & Samwel, 1999; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995; Walker & Severson, 2002). …