Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience associated difficulties in reading comprehension. This may be due to the social nature of fictional texts, which require the reader to interpret what characters are thinking and feeling and to make inferences about the cause and effect between events in a story. This paper outlines strategies that teachers can use to assist their learners with ASD in reading comprehension, including activating social background knowledge, encouraging series and familiar genres, identifying and teaching figurative language, and using graphic organizers to support perspective-taking. These strategies are tailored to the social phenotype of children with ASD to best address the underlying difficulties that may be impeding their reading comprehension.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AccardoA. L.FinneganE. G. (2019). Teaching reading comprehension to learners with autism spectrum disorder: Discrepancies between teacher and research-recommended practices. Autism, 23(1), 236–246. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21994
2.
AdlerD. A. (2004). Cam Jansen series. Penguin Random House.
3.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
4.
ArnoldT. (2000). Parts. Puffin Books.
5.
Bishop-FitzpatrickL.MazefskyC. A.EackS. M.MinshewN. J. (2017). Correlates of social functioning in autism spectrum disorder: The role of social cognition. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 35, 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2016.11.013
6.
BlochS. (2009). Butterflies in my stomach and other school hazards. Sterling.
7.
Brennan-NelsonD. (2004). My teacher likes to say. Sleeping Bear Press.
8.
BrownH. M.Oram-CardyJ.JohnsonA. (2013). A meta-analysis of the reading comprehension skills of individuals on the autism spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(4), 932–955. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1638-1
9.
CainJ. (2005). The way I feel. Parenting Press.
10.
CervettiG. N.HiebertE. H. (2018). Knowledge at the center of English language arts instruction. The Reading Teacher, 72(4), 499–507. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1758
11.
ColstonH. L.KuiperM. S. (2002). Figurative language development research and popular children’s literature: Why we should know, “Where the Wild Things Are.”Metaphor and Symbol, 17(1), 27–43. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327868MS1701_3
12.
CookJ. (2005). My mouth is a volcano. National Center for Youth Issues.
13.
CurtisJ. L. (1998). Today I feel silly: And other moods that make my day. HarperCollins.
14.
DoddJ. L.OcampoA.KennedyK. S. (2011). Perspective taking through narratives: An intervention for students with ASD. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 33(1), 23-33. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525740110395014
15.
DraperS. M. (2011). Clubhouse mysteries. Aladdin Paperbacks.
16.
DwyerJ.NeumanS. B. (2008). Selecting books for children birth through four: A developmental approach. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(6), 489–494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-008-0236-5
17.
EllemanA. M. (2017). Examining the impact of inference instruction on the literal and inferential comprehension of skilled and less skilled readers: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(6), 761–781. https://doi/10.1037/edu0000180
18.
EmeryD. W. (1996). Helping readers comprehend stories from the characters’ perspectives. The Reading Teacher, 49(7), 534–541.
19.
EstesA.RiveraV.BryanM.CaliP.DawsonG. (2011). Discrepancies between academic achievement and intellectual ability in higher-functioning school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(8), 1044–1052. https://doi/10.1007/s10803-010-1127-3
20.
FergusP.AbdulaimmaB.CarterC.RoundS. (2014). Interactive mobile technology for children with autism spectrum condition (ASC). In 2014 IEEE 11th Consumer Communications and Networking Conference (CCNC) (pp. 1–4). IEEE.
21.
FinneganE. G.AccardoA. L. (2018). Understanding character perspective: Strategies to support students with autism spectrum disorder. The Reading Teacher, 72(1), 71–80. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1682
22.
García-PérezR. M.HobsonR. P.LeeA. (2008). Narrative role-taking in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(1), 156–168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0379-z
23.
GatelyS. E. (2008). Facilitating reading comprehension for students on the autism spectrum. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 40(3), 40–45. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F004005990804000304
24.
GhanouniP.JarusT.ZwickerJ. G.LucyshynJ. (2020). The use of technologies among individuals with autism spectrum disorders: Barriers and challenges. Journal of Special Education Technology, 35(4), 286–294. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0162643419888765
25.
GibbsR. W.ColstonH. L. (2012). Interpreting figurative meaning. Cambridge University Press.
HenryA. R.SolariE. J. (2020). Targeting oral language and listening comprehension development for students with autism spectrum disorder: A school-based pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(10), 3763–3776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04434-2
28.
HulmeC.SnowlingM. J. (2011). Children’s reading comprehension difficulties: Nature, causes, and treatments. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(3), 139–142. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0963721411408673
29.
JamesT. (2010). The world is your oyster. Simply Read Books.
30.
KaeferT. (2018). The role of topic-related background knowledge in visual attention to illustration and children’s word learning during shared book reading. Journal of Research in Reading, 41(3), 582–596. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12127
31.
KaeferT. (2020). When did you learn it? How background knowledge impacts attention and comprehension in read-aloud activities. Reading Research Quarterly, 55, S173–S183. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.344
32.
KalandadzeT.NorburyC.NærlandT.NæssK. A. B. (2018). Figurative language comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic review. Autism, 22(2), 99–117. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1362361316668652
33.
KimY. S. G.VorstiusC.RadachR. (2018). Does online comprehension monitoring make a unique contribution to reading comprehension in beginning readers? Evidence from eye movements. Scientific Studies of Reading, 22(5), 367–383. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2018.1457680
34.
KluthP. (2010). You’re going to love this kid (2nd ed.). Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
35.
LoshM.CappsL. (2003). Narrative ability in high-functioning children with autism or Asperger’s syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33(3), 239–251. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024446215446
36.
MachalicekW.O’ReillyM. F.BeretvasN.SigafoosJ.LancioniG.SorrellsA.LangR.RispoliM. (2008). A review of school-based instructional interventions for students with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2(3), 395–416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2007.07.001
37.
MarR. A.OatleyK. (2008). The function of fction is the abstraction and simulation of social experience. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(3), 173–192. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1745-6924.2008.00073.x
38.
MashalN.KasirerA. (2011). Thinking maps enhance metaphoric competence in children with autism and learning disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32(6), 2045–2054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2011.08.012
39.
McIntyreN. S.SolariE. J.GonzalesJ. E.SolomonM.LerroL. E.NovotnyS.OswaldT. M.MundyP. C. (2017). The scope and nature of reading comprehension impairments in school-aged children with higher-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(9), 2838–2860. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3209-y
40.
McTigueE.DouglassA.WrightK. L.HodgesT. S.FranksA. D. (2015). Beyond the story map: Inferential comprehension via character perspective. The Reading Teacher, 69(1), 91–101. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1377
41.
NolenS. B. (2007). Young children’s motivation to read and write: Development in social contexts. Cognition and instruction, 25(2–3), 219–270. https://doi.org/10.1080/07370000701301174
42.
NorburyC. F. (2004). Factors supporting idiom comprehension in children with communication disorders. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47(5), 1179–1193. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2004/087)
ParrishP. (2010). Amelia Bedelia. Harper & Row. (Original work published 1963)
45.
PfisterM. (1992). The rainbow fish. Simon & Schuster.
46.
RathmannP. (1991). Ruby the copycat. Scholastic.
47.
RickettsJ.JonesC. R.HappéF.CharmanT. (2013). Reading comprehension in autism spectrum disorders: The role of oral language and social functioning. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(4), 807–816. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1619-4
48.
RosenhouseJ.FeitelsonD.KitaB.GoldsteinZ. (1997). Interactive reading aloud to Israeli first graders: Its contribution to literacy development. Reading Research Quarterly, 32(2), 168–183. https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.32.2.3
49.
RoyR. (2009). A to Z mysteries. Random House.
50.
SolariE. J.GrimmR. P.McIntyreN. S.ZajicM.MundyP. C. (2019). Longitudinal stability of reading profiles in individuals with higher functioning autism. Autism, 23(8), 1911–1926. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1362361318812423
51.
SolariE. J.HenryA. R.McIntyreN. S.GrimmR. P.ZajicM. (2020). Testing the effects of a pilot listening comprehension and vocabulary intervention for individuals with autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 71, Article 101501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2019.101501
52.
SmithR.SnowP.SerryT.HammondL. (2021). The role of background knowledge in reading comprehension: A critical review. Reading Psychology, 42(3), 214–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2021.1888348
53.
StringfieldS. G.LuscreD.GastD. L. (2011). Effects of a story map on accelerated reader postreading test scores in students with high-functioning autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 26(4), 218–229. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1088357611423543
54.
SwellerJ. (2011). Cognitive load theory. In MestreJ.RossB. (Series Eds.), Psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 55, pp. 37–76). Academic Press.
55.
TeagueM. (1994). Pigsty. Scholastic.
56.
van den BroekP.KendeouP. (2017). Development of reading comprehension. In CainK.ComptonD. L.ParrilaR. K. (Eds.), Theories of reading development (pp. 283–306). Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins Publishing.
57.
ViorstJ. (1987). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Simon and Schuster.
58.
WhyteE. M.NelsonK. E.KhanK. S. (2013). Learning of idiomatic language expressions in a group intervention for children with autism. Autism, 17(4), 449–464. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1362361311422530
