The article examines the scientific and theoretical foundations of increasing motivation in the process of reading acquisition among students with intellectual disabilities. Reading is considered not only as a technical academic skill but also as a complex psychological, cognitive, communicative and social process that directly influences the learner’s independence, self-confidence and participation in educational life. Students with intellectual disabilities often experience difficulties in phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary development, reading fluency and comprehension. These difficulties may reduce learning confidence and weaken the desire to participate in reading activities. Therefore, motivational support becomes an essential pedagogical condition for effective reading instruction. The article analyzes the relationship between motivation and reading acquisition through the perspectives of special pedagogy, cognitive psychology, self-determination theory, socio-cultural theory and evidence-based reading instruction. The study emphasizes that motivation is strengthened when reading tasks are accessible, emotionally safe, personally meaningful, systematically structured and supported by positive feedback. The article argues that increasing motivation among students with intellectual disabilities requires a combination of individualized instruction, multisensory methods, gradual success experiences, teacher encouragement, family involvement and inclusive learning environments. The results of the theoretical analysis show that motivation performs an activating, directing, regulating and sustaining function in reading acquisition. It helps students overcome repeated difficulties, maintain attention, develop persistence and connect reading with real-life communication. The article concludes that motivational strategies should be integrated into all stages of reading instruction and should be viewed as a central component of special pedagogical support.