I have a very unusual job-I help disabled adults improve their literacy skills.  People who society and institutions have given up on now have the opportunity to learn to read better than they could before.  Many of my students have moderate to severe developmental disabilities, and yet they are surprising everyone and learning reading skills.  My coworkers will attest to the dramatic changes in every pupil.  Not only are they learning about letters, words and books, they are also improving in areas like self-esteem and interpersonal skills. 

In many areas, adult DD/ID individuals are thought to be 'done' with learning.  The feeling is that if they weren't able to become literate through 12 or more years of schooling, then there is little use to continue with that type of programming.  In our program, however, we find that continued literacy development assistance is making a huge difference in lives.  There is hope for everyone to become a better reader!

The program is different from traditional school experiences.  Instead of working with a classroom full of pupils, I work one-on-one with students, some for just thirty minutes weekly.  Instead of following a specific curriculum, I have students set their own goals and then design personalized lessons to help them achieve those goals.  I don't come to lessons with set-in-stone lesson plans, but instead offer choices about each session's activities.

My hope is that others who work with dd/id adults will see this information and will consider offering similar programming.  My research shows that programs that work with literacy development are experiencing similar successes around the world, but that these programs are rare in the US.  Canada and Australia are in the forefront of program development.  If you contact me, I can direct you to resources that I came across for my research.

 It's clear that the general public and especially those who have a loved one with a developmental disability need to speak up and insist that institutions look into these types of programs.  ALL people deserve a chance to become as literate as possible, and when we remove barriers like low expectations, huge progress can often be made.  Speak up!  Get information!  Contact me if you'd like more details about the program that I work with.  You can reach me at reading@allinfoaboutreading.info.