Effects of Reading Mastery as a Small Group Intervention for Young Children with ASD (original) (raw)
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The Conditions of Beginning Reading Instruction for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Remedial and Special Education, 2015
A disproportionate number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are below grade level in reading. This trend may be due in part to characteristics of the disability, but it may also reflect lack of access to the instructional conditions needed for success in beginning reading. In this study, we surveyed special education teachers to investigate the conditions of reading instruction for K-3 students with ASD. Consistent with recommendations regarding beginning reading, teachers ( n = 66) indicated that the vast majority of students with ASD ( n = 226) participated in daily reading instruction and received more comprehensive instruction than the sight word approach that has been used in the past. Findings of concern included frequency of use of paraprofessionals to provide primary instruction, teachers’ relatively low self-efficacy for teaching reading to students with ASD, and provision of less than the recommended instructional time for K-3 reading.
Evidence-Based Reading Instruction for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 2008
Legislation mandates that all children, including children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) be taught to read in ways that are consistent with reading research, and target the five components of evidence-based reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension strategies. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the literature on reading instruction for children with ASD that encompasses one or more of the five components of reading. The review yielded 11 studies with 61 participants ages 4 to 17. Results indicate that children with ASD can benefit from reading instruction consistent with reading research. Research in this area is still preliminary, and more research is needed to guide practice. Possible directions for future research are provided.
Effects of Emergent Literacy Interventions for Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Exceptional Children, 2017
Combining data from a series of three planned consecutive randomized controlled trials, the present study investigates two literacy interventions for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. For the first cohort, children were randomized to interactive book reading (IBR; treatment) or business as usual (BAU; control); in Cohort 2, children were randomized to phonological awareness (PA; treatment) or BAU; in Cohort 3, children were randomized to IBR or PA. Both treatments were implemented weekly in the classroom from November to May. Combined across cohorts, data from 57 classrooms in 8 districts were available for analysis ( n = 47, IBR; n = 42, PA; n = 44, BAU). Model results showed that IBR had significantly greater pretest-posttest gains than the sample mean on expressive vocabulary and listening comprehension (approximate effect sizes: d* = 0.29 and 0.30), whereas PA had significantly greater PA gains ( d* = 0.39).
Using Guided Reading with Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
2007
There is a national movement underway to assist teachers in connecting the ideas and practices found in multicultural, general, and special education (Sobel & Taylor, 2006, p.29). In particular, educators are seeking innovative ways to implements general education practices with students with low incidence disabilities. This article describes the model used by one elementary school teacher to implement guided reading, a researchbased practice in a LIFE skills classroom in order to increase the reading skills of students with autism. The teacher shares how each student's reading levels were identified and describes the classroom management system that allowed for instruction based on student needs. The teacher's knowledge of the guided reading principles allowed the students to take responsibility for their learning, providing them with challenging reading lessons that lead to growth in their own reading abilities. Each component of the program can be replicated within a general or special education classroom.
A significant number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) who attend partially or fully integrated classrooms in the United States in increasing numbers, show distinctive difficulties in reading comprehension and difficulty acquiring the foundational oral language skills necessary for reading development. In this paper we describe a Student Shadowing Project in which preservice teachers observed and reported on opportunities for students with special needs to participate and engage in classroom literacy practices. Results revealed that students with ASD were given few opportunities to actively engage in classroom dialogue and academic language (defined here as the language of school, testing, and textbooks) production. Given that gaining meaning from print is largely dependent on a child's proficiency in language, we suggest that teachers increasingly include students with ASD in whole-class and small-group interactions, to facilitate the development of language skills which may in turn lead to reading comprehension improvements.
Background: For students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), improving reading comprehension is critical for increasing both their opportunities for successful postsecondary experiences including attending college and obtaining meaningful employment. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of a multicomponent reading intervention on the vocabulary and reading outcomes of middle grade students with ASD. Method: We conducted a matched randomized pilot experimental study for students with ASD in grades 3-8 (N = 28) identified by their district personnel as having reading difficulties (i.e., not passing state reading test). An independent researcher matched participants according to symptom severity and reading fluency and then randomly assigned a member of each pair to treatment or comparison condition. Participants in treatment condition were provided 1:1 instruction for 23-30 sessions (M = 27) of 30 min each four to five days per week. Instructional components included (a) vocabulary instruction; (b) fluency with text, and (c) reading comprehension. In this pilot study, data were analyzed using repeated measures multilevel models in HLM 7. Due to the associated low statistical power to detect effects, the small sample size, and the exploratory nature of the study, we selected an alpha level of 0.10. Data were modeled as student-level variables classifying students based on their ASD symptomology from mild (level 1) to severe (level 3). Results: The multicomponent intervention was associated with significant gains in WJ-PC scores of 22.62 (se = 8.19, df = 3, p = .070) for students at GARS severity level 1. Significant gains favoring the intervention were also detected on vocabulary score of 10.19 (se = 2.78, df = 3, p = .035) and for students rated at GARS severity level 1 and for students rated at GARS severity level 2 [vocabulary score 5.46 (se = 1.60, df = 3, p = .042)]. Significant effects were not detected for scores on a standardized measure of reading and fluency (TOSREC), and a researcher-developed measure of reading comprehension. Conclusions: This pilot study shows enough promise to warrant future studies employing larger sample sizes and fully powered randomized control trial (RCT) studies. Although growth is modest and appears to be limited to participants who are in the mid to higher range of the autism spectrum, considering the large percentage of students with ASD in the mid to higher range, this study contributes to the development of evidence-based practices. We interpret the findings as having implications for future research with larger sample sizes and in providing initial guidance on instruction for consideration by practitioners.
Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilitites
Children with autism are at-risk for poor literacy outcomes and have the right to learn literacy skills. Despite this, students with autism often may be perceived as not ready for literacy instruction. This study focused on teaching alphabet skills to young children with autism. Two instructional conditions were compared, traditional teacher-led group instruction that used alphabet books and multimedia computer-assisted instruction. Data were compared to determine the effects on alphabetic skills acquisition and maintenance. The effects on student attentive behavior and engagement in problem behavior in each intervention condition also were compared. Results indicated that both interventions were effective for improving and maintaining student alphabet recognition skills. In both intervention groups, the children had high rates of attention to task and low rates of undesirable behavior. Directions for future research as well as conclusions regarding the design of literacy interventi...
Observational Study on Teachers’ Approach in Teaching Children with Autism to Read
Journal of Education and Practice, 2012
Children with autism are characterized with unique cognitive and social emotional development which makes the process of teaching them to read to be difficult and complicated. In attending to the special needs and characteristics of children with autism, special education teachers should have necessary knowledge and techniques in teaching children with autism to read and taking their characteristics into consideration during the reading lesson. This research aims to examine th read. A total of two special education teachers were willing to participate in the case study. A non observation was carried out with the two respective teachers in different tim The findings were presented in different phases of the reading process which were carried out. There are no single theories which was used in teaching students to read in each phase. It involves the combination of vario to help students to understand the content of the reading material. Based on the findings, the teachers used several theories in teaching reading to children with autism. These theories include reading theories (traditional, cognitive and metacognitive view of reading) and Vygotsky's Sociocultural theory.
Teaching Early Reading Skills to Children With Autism Using Mimiosprout Early Reading
Behavioral Interventions, 2013
A number of studies have demonstrated positive outcomes for typical learners from the internet-based reading program, MimioSprout W Early Reading (MER). In the present study, a preliminary evaluation of MER was conducted with four children with autism who attended an applied behavior analysis educational program in a school setting. The primary aim was to investigate whether it would be feasible to use MER with children with autism and whether any adaptations to the standard teaching procedure would be needed. A secondary aim was to investigate whether completing MER would improve early reading skills. When additional discrete-trial table top activities were designed to supplement each child's progress, every child was able to complete all 80 lessons and showed similar correct performance to that reported for typically developing learners. Results from a standardized test of reading ability showed an improvement in word recognition reading age for all children from 14 months to more than three years over the 14 weeks of teaching. A follow-up test showed that gains were maintained eight weeks after the end of the intervention. MER can be successfully used with children with autism and can improve their early reading skills.