Exploring Individual Changes in Disability Status and Their Relations to Reading Comprehension Development.

This study examined the stability and changes in disability status among elementary students with speech–language disorders (SLs) and specific learning disabilities (LDs) in Michigan schools participating in the Reading First program, focusing on how these changes relate to reading comprehension development from Grades 1 to 3. Analyzing data from 10,196 students, the study found that disability status often changed over time, with most students receiving late diagnoses and only a small proportion having persistent disabilities; changes from SL to LD were observed but not the reverse. Students with disabilities started with lower reading comprehension levels and made less progress than peers without disabilities, with those transitioning from SL to LD showing the smallest achievement gains. The findings highlight the importance of considering disability status as a dynamic construct in educational assessment and suggest that early and intensive interventions are critical, although the Reading First program did not close achievement gaps for students with SLs or LDs.