Reading Comprehension Interventions for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Synthesis of Research

Abstract

The authors synthesized reading intervention studies conducted between 1980 and 2012 with K-12 students identified with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Nine single-subject design studies, one quasi-experimental study, and two single-group design studies met the criteria for inclusion. Findings from the studies indicate that modifying instructional interventions associated with improved comprehension for students with reading difficulties may improve reading comprehension in students with ASD. Four studies implemented strategy instruction that included (a) question generation; (b) graphic organizers; and (c) making predictions. Two studies utilized anaphoric cueing instruction, three implemented explicit instruction, and three examined student grouping practices. Among the reviewed studies, the majority (n = 9) measured reading comprehension through researcher-developed probes, and two studies reported results from standardized measures.

‘It’s the most important thing – I mean, the schooling’: father involvement in the education of children with autism

“…Furthermore, as reported here by some fathers, children with ASD often experience literacy problems (El Zein, Solis, Vaughn, & McCulley, 2014) but few, if any, parentdirected interventions adopt a gender-differentiated approach. This general lack of consideration of gender as a factor potentially influencing the effectiveness of parental intervention programmes is unfortunate since several studies have shown that the needs and preferences of mothers and fathers in respect of models of service delivery and training may differ (Braunstein et al, 2013;Scourfield, Cheung, & Macdonald, 2014).…”

Investigating a reading comprehension intervention for high school students with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

“…Previous interventions targeting students with ASD have focused on challenging behavior and communication skills while neglecting areas of academic underachievement such as reading comprehension (El Zein et al, 2013). Syntheses of reading interventions for students with ASD found research in this area lacking, particularly for those in secondary grades.…”

“…Syntheses of reading interventions for students with ASD found research in this area lacking, particularly for those in secondary grades. Relatively few reading intervention investigations have focused on reading comprehension relative to those that focus on sight word recognition, decoding skills, and fluency (Chiang & Lin, 2007;El Zein et al, 2013;Whalon, Al Otaiba, & Delano, 2009;Whalon & Hanline, 2008).…”

“…Acquiring adequate reading comprehension skills is necessary for successful learning in any subject area as well as for improving students' quality of postsecondary life (Carnahan & Williamson, 2010). However, the great cognitive heterogeneity within ASD leads to unique challenges in comprehending text that have not been addressed for secondary students with ASD at the high school level (El Zein et al, 2013).…”

“…Inadequate research exists on effective reading comprehension instruction for students with ASD, and teachers repeatedly communicate that they are uncertain how to effectively teach these students to read for meaning (Chiang & Lin, 2007). The use of specific evidencebased interventions validated effective for students with ASD could enhance students' academic outcomes in the area of reading comprehension (Chiang & Lin, 2007;Zein, Solis, Vaughn, & McCulley, 2013).…”