The Effectiveness of a Modified Typing Tutorial Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

People who have an intellectual disability (ID) often have difficulty learning to type using the traditional ten-finger approach. Typing is an essential skill for present social and educational relevance. The pilot program, ABC Typing Program (ABCTP) was developed and analyzed to determine if a modified typing tutorial program could be effective in teaching students with severe intellectual disabilities typing by eliminating the complex skills required for traditional typing. The effectiveness of ABCTP for increasing typing speed and accuracy was measured using a pretest-posttest design with eight high school students. A student questionnaire was used to determine participants’ satisfaction. The paired t-test analysis results indicated a significant improvement in typing speed. There was no significant improvement in typing accuracy. All participants responded with 100% satisfaction with the program. The findings suggest that ABCTP is effective to teach people with ID typing, an increasingly necessary skill for everyday life.