Abstract:

The relationship between emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and reading difficulties has been well established. Students with and at risk for EBD have demonstrated low rates of responsiveness to reading interventions. For these students, academic fluency was reported as a strong predictor of social adjustment. This study examined the effect of implementing a multi-dimensional secondary prevention package on students' oral reading fluency (ORF). Fluency instruction and practice were added to accuracy instruction and behavioral support for 4 second-grade students with reading risk and behavioral challenges and 5 students with reading risk only. Results indicated that all students benefited, but two students with behavioral challenges responded at greater rates and two responded with similar rates of growth compared to students with reading risk alone. Attention may have contributed to students' levels of responsiveness. Implementation integrity ratings were high. Parent and student social validity ratings were high, while teachers reported the program was somewhat difficult for them to maintain over time. Limitations and future directions focused on the potential moderating effects of behavioral support plans, the need for additional measures of attention, the need for continued focus on primary prevention practices, and the need for measuring the collateral effects of academic gains on student behaviors. Educational implications highlight the importance of pairing academic and behavioral supports for students at risk for EBD, the potential usefulness of treatment integrity tool to provide specific feedback for teachers, and the need to maintain multiple secondary preventions to provide appropriate instruction based on student need.