Enhancing word signing in hearing students with reading disorders using computer‐based learning trials

Evans and team taught ASL word signs to college students with reading disorders. The program ran on a laptop. Each trial showed a printed word, then a short video of the sign, then let the student practice twice.

The researchers tracked four students across three sets of words. They used a multiple-baseline design. No teacher stood nearby; the computer handled every prompt and fade.

Every student mastered every word set. Accurate signing stayed high weeks later. The computer-only method worked without any live instructor.

Martens et al. (1989) also used a multiple-baseline design with prompts, but they relied on tactile cues for a deaf-blind student. Evans swaps touch for video and still gets clean acquisition, showing the prompting frame works across senses.

Halldórsdóttir et al. (2017) boosted reading fluency in the same college crowd using repeated reading and feedback. Evans targets a different skill—ASL signs—but both prove adult students with reading disorders can still make fast gains when the teaching package is tight.

Kim et al. (2014) found that students with dyslexia need extra time and cleaner visuals when they read graphs. Evans respects that need: short clips, two quick practices, no clutter. The studies line up on the ‘keep it simple’ rule for this population.

If you serve college students with dyslexia or other reading disorders, you now have a ready-made computer lesson that can run while you work with other clients. Load the word list, hit play, and the student gets perfect prompting and fading every time. Use it for vocabulary, foreign-language signs, or even technical terms in your own sessions.