Learning to Read with an Intellectual Disability in Malta: An Investigation of Literacy Services and Educational Approaches

In Malta, the specific methods used to equip students with intellectual disabilities to become proficient readers remain unclear. It is not evident how educators are trained to deliver specialised literacy instruction nor how national policies translate into effective classroom practices. This gap in research highlights the need for further investigation into the current state of literacy instruction for students with intellectual disabilities while also informing the EU educational framework. Hence, the following research questions emerge. 1. What literacy services and support structures are available in Maltese schools for students with intellectual disabilities learning to read? 2. How do national policies in Malta address the literacy education of students with intellectual disabilities, and how are these policies implemented in practice? 3. What are the key challenges when teaching students with intellectual disabilities to read, and how can training and resources mitigate these challenges? This project aims to use statistical data from Individual Educational Reports, and interview data obtained from Inclusion Coordinators and Literacy Stakeholders from all school settings to answer the research questions.