Written Expression in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Although studies exist measuring the effectiveness of writing interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), research assessing the writing skills for this group is sparse. The present study identified differences in the written expression of individuals with ASD compared to typically developing (TD) peers, using variables selected from 13 different studies. Using Pearson Product Moment-correlation the relationship between the quality of research studies and the magnitude of the effect sizes was examined. Findings indicate significant differences in the following components of written expression; length, legibility, handwriting size, speed, spelling, and overall structure, highlighting the need for future research to determine if the characteristics of written expression in individuals with ASD are similar to other struggling writers.

Effects of intervention on handwriting accuracy and speed for elementary students with autism spectrum disorder

“…Research estimates that 60% of children with ASD demonstrate performance in written expression which is significantly discrepant from typically developing peers (Mayes & Calhoun, 2006). These findings are consistent with a meta-analysis of writing achievement in students with ASD which revealed significantly worse performance on (a) handwriting legibility, size, and speed; (b) spelling accuracy; (c) writing complex sentences with details; and (d) length and overall structure of written composition (Finnegan & Accardo, 2018). This is consistent with other research which found significantly lower performance on sentence-level measures such as word count, syntactic complexity (i.e., shorter thought-units),…”

“…The mixed findings and limited scope of handwriting interventions included in the current review lend support to Finnegan and Accardo's (2018) suggestion that students with ASD may stand to benefit from intervention methods that have been successfully applied to broader categories of students who struggle with writing. Future research involving students with ASD should consider testing the effects of interventions which successfully included activities in alphabetic knowledge, explicit instruction in handwriting the entire alphabet, and timed practice procedures to build fluency (Graham et al, 2000;Jones & Christensen, 1999).…”

“…Achievement in written expression provides critical access to enhanced learning, communication, and social opportunities (Anderson et al, 2015;Newell, 2008), and all students, including students with ASD, are expected to write proficiently for many purposes (Troia & Graham, 2016;Behizadeh & Pang, 2016). Unfortunately, students with ASD are at risk for significant difficulties in written expression (Maybe & Calhoun, 2006), especially in handwriting speed, size, and legibility (Finnegan & Accardo, 2018). Research has shown that illegible handwriting limits the readability of handwritten texts (Graham et al, 2011).…”

“…Unfortunately, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to struggle with several aspects of written expression (Mayes & Calhoun, 2006). Research indicates that these difficulties occur across multiple areas, including handwriting, spelling, and sentence construction (Finnegan & Accardo, 2018). In particular, handwriting poses a significant challenge for an estimated 30% to 40% of students with ASD who struggle to develop proficiency in this foundational writing skill (Cartmill, Rodger, & Ziviani, 2009).…”

“…Research indicates that difficulties with component transcription skills may impede development of composite skills such as sentence construction, particularly for students with ASD who tend to struggle with multiple areas of writing development. Considering the need to identify effective ways to improve written expression for students with ASD, Finnegan and Accardo (2018) suggested that students with ASD may be well-served by writing intervention which has been successfully applied to students with LD. Indeed, prior research on writing intervention for students with ASD, struggling writers, or students with LD may provide substantial guidance when investigating sentence-level writing interventions for the population with ASD.…”