Project WILLD

Project WILLD (Writing in students with language-based learning disabilities; LLD) is an intervention designed to improve writing outcomes in students with LLD by targeting oral and written language at the word, sentence, and paragraph levels. Students with LLD are those who struggle with reading, writing, or spelling with or without oral language challenges (speaking and listening) requiring the support of a special educator (SE) or speech-language pathologist (SLP). In school settings, students with LLD are eligible for an individualized education plan (IEP) under the qualifying categories of: Communication (Speech/Language) Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, or Other Health Impairment. Project WILLD can be used to target IEP goals for writing and oral language because students are taught to think, say, and write ideas as they compose informative paragraphs (non-fiction providing information about a topic). The fully developed intervention has been studied over three iterations including: a content validation study, a within groups (pre-/post- test) study, and a randomized controlled trial pilot study. Across iterations, students with LLD have shown significant improvements in their use of cohesive ties for generating complex sentences and in the overall quality of informative paragraphs. Moreover, educators report that the intervention meets student needs and aligns with IEP goals and students feel more confident in their writing.

 

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION AND TO ENROLL IN OUR CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION & FEEDBACK STUDY

 

Inquiries about Project WILLD can be directed to Dr. Anthony Koutsoftas, anthony.koutsoftas@shu.edu or 973-275-2865.