Using digital technology for text comprehension: a single-subject design study on students with mild intellectual disability

Students with mild intellectual disability often struggle with reading, limiting their learning potential. This study examines whether digital technology can enhance text comprehension among five students with mild intellectual disability in Sweden. Using a single-subject design, the student’s ability to comprehend and retell short, accessible texts was assessed under two conditions: reading independently and listening with text-to-speech (TTS). The results revealed varied outcomes; some students demonstrated notable improvements in text comprehension and increased independence when using TTS (PEM = 0.08–0.75), while others experienced minimal or no benefit. These findings suggest that TTS can be a valuable tool for some students but may not meet the needs of all, and teachers should consider alternative approaches to address the diverse needs of these students in developing text comprehension. Future research should further combine TTS with text comprehension strategies to enhance reading and listening comprehension for these students, highlighting the need for ongoing research to improve educational practices and ensure effective learning environments.