PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS RELATED TO THE FRIENDS ON THE BLOCK CURRICULUM
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Gregor, C., Hermecz, S., Preast, J., Allor, J., & Al Otaiba, S. (October, 2024). Literacy instruction for nonresponders and students at risk: A practical method for teaching ALL students to read. Reading, Literacy and Learning Conference of the International Dyslexia Association, Dallas, TX.

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Al Otaiba, S., Allor, J., Gregor, C., & Preast, J. (March, 2024). Successes, challenges, and lessons learned: Literacy instruction for all students. Annual Council for Exceptional Children Convention, San Antonio, TX.

 

Benner, G., Smolkowski, K., Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., Preast, J., Gregor, C., & Hermecz, S. (March, 2024). Boosting the reading and language growth of students with intensive needs, including students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Annual Council for Exceptional Children Convention, San Antonio, TX.

 

Benner, G., Smolkowski, K., Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., Gregor, C., & Hermecz, S. (January, 2024). Research informing Friends on the Block: A text-centered early literacy curriculum for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. International Conference on Autism, Intellectual Disability and Developmental Disabilities, Honolulu, HI.

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Conner, C., Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., Yovanoff, P., & LeJeune, L. (2024). Early Reading Outcomes in Response to a Comprehensive Reading Curriculum for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 39(2), 71-83. https://doi.org/10.1177/10883576221137905

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Allor, J. H., Gregor, C., & Al Otaiba, S. (2023). How to implement evidence-based literacy practices with students with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Examples from a text-centered literacy intervention. Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities [DADD] Online. 

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Allor, J. H., Gregor, C., & Al Otaiba (March, 2023). Research informing a text-based early literacy curriculum. Annual Council for Exceptional Children Convention, Louisville, KY.

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Allor, J. H. & Gregor, C. (January, 2023). Research informing Friends on the Block: A text-centered early literacy curriculum for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. International Conference on Autism, Intellectual Disability and Developmental Disabilities, Clearwater Beach, FL.

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Conner, C., Allor, J. H., Henry, A. R., Al Otaiba, S., & Ortiz, M. B., (2023). Planning and implementing effective language and reading comprehension instructional techniques for students with autism spectrum disorder and cognitive disabilities. The Reading Teacher. doi:10.1002/trtr.2207​​

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*Allor, J. H. (April, 2022, invited). Literacy instruction for students with developmental disabilities: What do we know and how do we put it into practice? Ontario Association for Developmental Education, Ontario, Canada.

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Allor, J. H., Kearns, D., Ortiz, M., & Conner, C. (2022). An examination of the text characteristics of an early reading book series: Providing intensive practice with connected text. In M. Tankersley, B. G. Cook, & T. J. Landrum (Eds.), Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities (Vol. 31), Bingley, UK: Emerald.

 

Allor, J. H., Yovanoff, P., Al Otaiba, S., Ortiz, M. B., & Conner, C. (2020). Evidence for a literacy intervention for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 55, 290-302.

Allor, J. H., Gifford, D. B., Jones, F. G., Al Otaiba, S., Yovanoff, P., Ortiz, M. B., & Cheatham, J. P. (2018). The effects of a text-centered literacy curriculum for students with intellectual disability. American Journal for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 123, 474-494.  doi:10.1352/1944-7558-123.5.474

Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., Ortiz, M., & Conner, C. (February, 2018). Promising Evidence for a Text-Centered Literacy Curriculum for Students with Intellectual Disability. Annual Council for Exceptional Children Convention, Tampa, FL.
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Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., Ortiz, M., Conner, C., & Baker, K. (February, 2018). Addressing Foundational Reading Skills Using a Text-Centered Curriculum for Students with Disabilities. Annual Council for Exceptional Children Convention, Tampa, FL.

Allor, J. H. (January, 2018). Research support for Friends on the Block: A text-centered early literacy curriculum for students with disabilities. Council for Exceptional Children Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Clearwater Beach, FL.

Allor, J. H., & Conner, C. (January, 2018). Raising literacy expectations: Instructional implications from recent research on a text-centered curriculum. Council for Exceptional Children Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Clearwater Beach, FL.

Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., Ortiz, M. B., Yovanoff, P., Conner, C., & Baker, K. (April, 2017). The effectiveness of a text-centered literacy curriculum for students with intellectual disability. Annual Council for Exceptional Children Convention, Boston, MA.
 
Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., Yovanoff, P., & Ortiz, M. B. (February, 2017). Promising findings for a text-centered literacy curriculum for students with intellectual disability. Pacific Coast Research Conference, San Diego, CA.
 
Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., & Yovanoff, P. (December, 2016). Demonstrating the effectiveness  of a text-centered literacy curriculum for students with intellectual disability. Institute of Education Sciences Principal Investigators Meeting, Washington, D.C.
 
Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., Yovanoff, P., & Ortiz, M. B. (April, 2016). The effects of a text-centered supplemental curriculum for students with intellectual disability. Annual Council for Exceptional Children Convention, St. Louis, MO.
 
Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., Yovanoff, P., & Cheatham, J. (December, 2015). The Effects of a Text-Centered Supplemental Curriculum for Students with Intellectual Disabilities. Institute of Education Sciences Principal Investigators Meeting, Washington, D.C.

Allor, J. H., Gifford, D. B., Al Otaiba, S., Miller, S. J., & Cheatham, J. P.  (2013). Teaching students with intellectual disability to integrate reading skills: Effects of Text and Text-Based Lessons.  Remedial and Special Education, 34, 346-356. DOI 10.1177/0741932513494020.
 
Allor, J. H., Mathes, P. G., Champlin, T. M., & Cheatham, J. P. (2009). Research-based techniques for teaching early reading skills to students with intellectual disabilities. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 44, 356-366. [early version of Friends on the Block​ readers and lessons]

RELATED RESOURCES

Al Otaiba, S., Allor, J. H., & Stewart, J. (2022). Structured literacy interventions for phonemic awareness and basic word recognition skills. In L. Spear-Swerling (Ed.) Structured Literacy Interventions for Children with Reading Difficulties, NY, NY: Guilford.

 

Jones, G. F., Gifford, D. B., Yovanoff, P., Al Otaiba, S. Levy, D., & Allor, J. (2019). Alternate assessment formats for progress monitoring students with intellectual disabilities and below average intelligence quotients: An exploratory study. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 34(1), 41-51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357618762749

Lemons, C. J., Allor, J. H., Al Otaiba, S., LeJeune, L. M. (2016). Ten research-based tips for enhancing literacy instruction for children and adolescents with intellectual disability. Teaching Exceptional Children, 49, 18-30.
 
Allor, J. H., Mathes, P., Roberts, K., Cheatham, J. P., & Al Otaiba, S. (2014). Is scientifically-based reading instruction effective for students with Below-Average IQs? Exceptional Children, 80, 289-308. DOI 10.1177/0014402914522208.
 
Cheatham, J. P. & Allor, J. H. (2014). How does independent practice of multiple-criteria text influence the reading performance and development of second graders? Learning Disability Quarterly, 37, 3-14. DOI 10.1177/0731948713494016

Cheatham, J. P. & Allor, J. H. (2012). The influence of decodability in early reading text on reading achievement: A review of the evidence. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 25, 2223-2246. DOI 10.1007/s11145-011-9355-2.
 
Allor, J. H., & Chard, D. J. (2011). A comprehensive approach to improving reading fluency for students with disabilities. Focus on Exceptional Children, 43, 1-12.
 
Allor, J. H., Champlin, T. M., Gifford, D. B., & Mathes, P. G. (2010). Methods for increasing the intensity of reading instruction for students with intellectual disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45, 500-511.
 
Allor, J. H., Mathes, P. G., Roberts, J. K., Cheatham, J. P, & Champlin, T. M. (2010). Comprehensive reading instruction for students with intellectual disabilities: Findings from the first three years of a longitudinal study. Psychology in the Schools, 47, 445-466.
 
Allor, J. H., Mathes, P. G., Jones, F. G., Champlin, T. M., & Cheatham, J. P. (2010). Individualized research-based reading instruction for students with intellectual disabilities. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 42, 6-12.
 
Allor, J. H., Mathes, P. G., Roberts, J. K., Jones, F. G., & Champlin, T. M. (2010). Teaching students with moderate intellectual disabilities to read: An experimental examination of a comprehensive reading intervention. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45, 3-22.

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Stewart, J., Conner, C., & Al Otaiba, S. (2024). Intellectual Disabilities. In Nancy Young & Jan Hasbrouck (Eds.), Climbing the Ladder of Reading & Writing: Meeting the needs of all learners, pp.158-172. PD Essentials/Benchmark Education.

​Support for carrying out this research was provided by grants R324K40011-05, R324A130102 and R324A200151 from the Institute of Education Sciences to Southern Methodist University. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and have not been reviewed or approved by the granting agency.