Clinical trial NCT06766188: Online Video Training for Teachers to Improve Reading Skills in Children Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Official title: Online Video Training for Teachers to Improve Reading Skills in Children Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
Phase: NA
Conditions: Autism
Intellectual Disabilities
Keywords: intellectual disabilities
AAC
Shared reading
reading intervention
Sound blending
letter-sound correspondence
Phoneme segmentation
Decoding
sight words
education
online video training
Lead sponsor: Ostfold University College
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of South-Eastern Norway
name: Federal University of São Paulo
First posted: 2025-01-09
Enrollment: 70
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 6
Maximum age (years): 14
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Randomized controlled trial
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: 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

Detailed description: Children with disabilities who require AAC may experiance challenges in various areas development, including communication skills, speech, language, cognitive and conceptual development, literacy, social participation, access to education, and overall quality of lifte. Acquiring reading skills may lead to higher levels of communication. Students who require AAC may be more dependent on others to provide and teach symbols to represent their language. Acquireing reading skills, may incrace the possibility to independently express themselves, and increace their access to for example text based communication devices.

There is a laci of evidence-based reading material adapted for students with ID who require AAC.

Primary outcomes will be assessed six times every two months over one year. The reading test are based on the reading material, which will be validated before the beginning of the trial.

Secondary outcome: four-time points (baseline, fourth, eighth, and twelfth month).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* ages 6-14 years,
* diagnosed with intellectual disability, confirmed by multidisciplinary assessments carried out by the Child rehabilitation service,
* not have a functional speech, i.e. require AAC to understand and make oneself understood,
* must use AAC as their primary form of communication,
* cannot follow ordinary curricula (LK20) but have their own education plan.

Exclusion Criteria:

* having a severe visual impairment and not being able to decode single words (e.g., severe hearing impairment).

Primary outcomes:
measure: Early reading skills outcome
timeFrame: From intervention start to the end of intervention at twelve months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Reading outcome
timeFrame: From intervention start to the end of intervention at twelve months
measure: Vocabulary
timeFrame: From intervention start to the end of intervention at twelve months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Halden
country: Norway
facility: Østfold University College
Study officials:
affiliation: Ostfold University College
name: Hugo Cogo Moreira, Professor
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Ulriksen LB, Bilet-Mossige M, Cogo-Moreira H, Oien R, Nordahl-Hansen A. Reading instruction for students with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication: A multiple single case study with baseline, posttest, follow-up, and maintenance. Res Dev Disabil. 2024 Aug;151:104790. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104790. Epub 2024 Jun 26.
citation: Ulriksen LB, Bilet-Mossige M, Moreira HC, Larsen K, Nordahl-Hansen A. Reading intervention for students with intellectual disabilities without functional speech who require augmentative and alternative communication: a multiple single-case design with four randomized baselines. Trials. 2023 Jun 27;24(1):433. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07452-4.