Learning to write is essential to success in a range of academic and daily life activities. Unfortunately, many students with extensive support needs (ESN) have difficulty acquiring basic written expression skills. The purpose of this paper is to distill recent research findings into a practical approach for teaching students with ESN to write.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BedrosianJ.LaskerJ.SpeidelK.PolitschA. (2003). Enhancing the written narrative skills of an AAC student with autism. Topics in Language Disorders, 23(4), 305–324. https://doi.org/10.1097/00011363-200310000-00006
2.
BrowderD. M.SpoonerF.CourtadeG. C.PenningtonR. (2020). Promoting writing: Creation of permanent product communications. In BrowderD.SpoonerF.CourtadeG. (Eds.), Teaching students with moderate and severe disabilities (2nd ed., pp. 191–208). Routledge.
3.
CarpenterM.PenningtonR.C.WalkerM. (2020). Using a technology-based instructional package to teach students with ASD to construct sentences. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 39(1), 3-20. https://doi.org/10.14434/rapcc.v39i1.28644
4.
ChazinK. T.LedfordJ. R. (2016). Preference assessments. Evidence-Based Instructional Practices for Young Children With Autism and Other Disabilities. http://ebip.vkcsites.org/preference-assessments
5.
CollinsB. C. (2022). Systematic instruction for students with moderate and severe disabilities (2nd ed.). Brookes Publishing.
6.
CollinsB. C.BransonT. A.HallM.RankinS. W. (2001). Teaching secondary students with moderate disabilities in an inclusive academic classroom setting. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 13(1), 41–59. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026557316417
7.
DatchukS. M.PochA. L.PanosK. (2020). Improving the sentence writing fluency of a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and speech/language impairment: A pilot study. Insights Into Learning Disabilities, 17(2), 163–178.
8.
DockrellJ. E.RickettsJ.CharmanT.LindsayG. (2014). Exploring writing products in students with language impairments and autism spectrum disorders. Learning and Instruction, 32, 81–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.01.008
9.
FramptonS. E.AxeJ. B. (2022). A tutorial for implementing matrix training in practice. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 334–345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00733-5
10.
GoldsteinH.AngeloD.MousetisL. (1987). Acquisition and extension of syntactic repertoires by severely mentally retarded youth. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 8(4), 549–574. https://doi.org/10.1016/0891-4222(87)90054-0
GreerR. D.RossD.E. (2008). Verbal behavior analysis: Inducing and expanding new verbal capabilities in children with language delays. Pearson.
13.
KurthJ.RupparA.Gross ToewsS.McCabeK.McQuestonJ.JohnstonR. (2019). Considerations in placement decisions for students with extensive support needs: An analysis of LRE statements. Research and Practice for Persons With Severe Disabilities, 44(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1540796918825479
14.
KushkiA.ChauT.AnagnostouE. (2011). Handwriting difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorders: A scoping review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(12), 1706–1716. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1206-0
15.
LeeA.HawleyK.BrowderD. M.FlowersC.WakemanS. (2016). Teaching writing in response to text to students with developmental disabilities who participate in alternate assessments. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 51(3), 238–251. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24827521
16.
McClureE.PenningtonR.BewleyS. (2024). Evaluating the evidence-base supporting writing instruction strategies for students with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis of experimental research. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 39(3), 139–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/10883576231221980
PenningtonR. C.CarpenterM. (2019). Teaching written expression to students with autism spectrum disorder and severe communication impairments. Topics in Language Disorders, 39(2), 191–207. https://doi.org/10.1097/TLD.0000000000000181
19.
PenningtonR. C.CollinsB. C.StenhoffD. M.TurnerKGunselmanK. (2014). Using simultaneous prompting to teach generative writing to students with autism. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 4(3), 396–414. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23881260
20.
PenningtonR. C.FlickA.Smith-WehrK. (2018). The use of response prompting and frames for teaching sentence writing to students with moderate intellectual disability. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 33(3), 142–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/108835761667356
21.
PenningtonR. C.ForemanL. H.GurneyB. N. (2018). An evaluation of procedures for teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities to write sentences. Remedial and Special Education, 39(1), 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932517708428
22.
PenningtonR. C.KoehlerM. (2017). The effects of modeling, story templates, and self-graphing in the use of story elements by students with moderate intellectual disability. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 52(3), 280–290. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26420400
PenningtonR.PinczynskiM.MasudA.SaundersA.StanleyM. (2025). Using response prompting, frames, and technology to teach students with extensive support needs to write about stories. Journal of Special Education Technology, 40(2), 183–194. https://doi.org/10.1177/016264342412706
25.
PenningtonR. C.RockholdJ. (2018). A brief report: An evaluation of an instructional package for teaching sentence writing to students with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48, 301–306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3309-8
26.
PenningtonR. C.SaadatziM.WelchK. C.ScottR. (2014). An investigation of robot delivered instruction to teach texting to students with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 29(4), 49–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/016264341402900404
27.
PenningtonR. C.StangerC.MimsP.J. KirkmanC.AldridgeS.StanleyM.ChapmanS. (2021). A Pilot investigation of an autonomous technology-based instructional program for teaching sentence construction to students with extensive support needs. Journal of Special Education Technology, 36(1), 18–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643419879767
28.
PenningtonR. C.StenhoffD. M.GibsonJ.BallouK. (2012). Using simultaneous prompting to teach story writing to a student with autism. Education and Treatment of Children, 35(3), 389–406.
29.
ShepleyC.LaneJ. D.AultM. J. (2019). A review and critical examination of the system of least prompts. Remedial and Special Education, 40(5), 313–327. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932517751213
30.
TaubD. A.McCordJ. A.RyndakD. L. (2017). Opportunities to learn for students with extensive support needs: A context of research-supported practices for all in general education classes. The Journal of Special Education, 51(3), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466917696263
