Abstract

With the increased use of iPads in classrooms, special education teachers need methods for preparing students with developmental disabilities to access and use this technology for a variety of academic purposes. This study used a multiple probe design to examine a multicomponent multimedia shared story (MSS) intervention via an iPad to teach science vocabulary to three elementary students with developmental disabilities. The shared stories, delivered via an iPad, included photographs, text, and videos to purposefully support generalization of vocabulary. Furthermore, pre and post measures were taken to determine student gains in digital literacy skills through modeling without explicit instructions. Results demonstrated that all three students met the criterion for identifying picture vocabulary and maintained and generalized their vocabulary knowledge across other stimuli. Students also showed mastery of digital literacy skills. Implications for future research are discussed.

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