Effectiveness of Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing on Practical Writing Skills of Children With Mild Intellectual Disabilities

BACKGROUND: Practical writing skills are of great importance for children's social communication and successful career development. However, individuals with intellectual disabilities are more likely to face challenges in practical writing. METHOD: This study employed a single-case multiple-probe design across participants to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive strategy instruction on the practical writing skills of three children with mild intellectual disabilities in China. The instruction targeted three specific genres: leave requests, lost and found notices and greeting cards. RESULTS: The cognitive strategy instruction in writing showed significant intervention and maintenance effects on all dimensions of the three participants' practical writing skills. The intervention demonstrated stronger effects on planning and organization skills than on language expression and checking and revising skills. CONCLUSIONS: The preliminary findings support the feasibility and effectiveness of cognitive strategy instruction in writing for teaching practical texts for children with mild intellectual disabilities.