Determining Effective Intervention Packages on Improving Reading Fluency of the Students with Mental Retardation

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the combined skill- and performance-based intervention packages on improving reading fluency of students with mental retardation using the Brief Experimental Analysis (BEA) and to test the results of the BEA using extended analysis (EA). Two students with mental retardation participated in the study. The study participants were two girls enrolled in sixth grade inclusive classrooms. During the implementation of the BEA in the study, brief multielement design was used, and in the extended analysis, alternating treatment design was conducted. In the BEA, three intervention packages and Repeated Readings were administered. These intervention packages included; Repeated Reading - Contingent Reinforcement, Repeated Reading - Performance Feedback and Repeated Reading - Performance Feedback - Contingent Reinforcement. The most and the least effective interventions determined as a result of the BEA were applied to study participants alternately using EA. The BEA results demonstrated that the Repeated Reading-Performance Feedback was the most effective intervention package for one student and Repeated Reading was the most effective technique for the other student. The EA results verified the results of the BEA.