Introduction
The purpose of this study is to determine if there is an effective strategy for teaching reading comprehension for learners with autism that can be implemented in a public school classroom. As an autistic support teacher for six years, I have seen students with autism struggle with reading comprehension. Hours are spent on implementing direct instruction in order that students will be able to decode text on grade level. Often some students will be able to decode text at their instructional grade level, but are unable to answer a question about what happened in a passage they just read. It is evident that the students face a struggle understanding what they read. Ricketts (2011) noted that the point of reading is to comprehend what is in the text not simply to decode the words on a page.
There are different types of questions that can be asked of students when assessing reading comprehension. Explicit questions can be asked as well as questions that require students to make inferences. In one study (as cited by Williamson, P., Carnahan, C., & Jacobs, J., 2012) Myles and her colleagues found that students with autism were able to answer questions that were found in the text rather than inferential questions. This suggests that students answer questions more fluently when they are able to return to the text for their information.
When I ask comprehension questions of my students, they will often respond by repeating the last word or two of the sentence that they just read. Williamson, Carnahan, and Jacobs (2012) state that “many individuals with autism spectrum disorder may hyperfocus on minute, and frequently insignificant, details rather than on the big picture, challenging their ability to comprehend an...
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...ism Developmental
Disorder. 40, 890-902. doi: 10.1007/s10803-010-0938-6
Ricketts, J. (2011). Research Review: Reading comprehension in developmental disorders of language and communication. The Journal of Child Psychology and
Psychiatry, 52:11, 1111-1123. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02438.x
Whalon, K. Otaiba S., & Delano, M. (2009). Evidence-based reading instruction for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on autism and other developmental disabilities. 24(1), 3-16. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2808040/ Williamson, P., Carnahan, C., & Jacobs, J. (2012). Reading Comprehension
Profiles of High-Functioning Students on the Autism Spectrum: A
Grounded Theory. Council for Exceptional Children. 78(4), 449-469.
Retrieved from http://cec.metapress.com/content/34160467741v7586/?p=b8611d8276bf4 51795de3e53dbfa163e&pi=3
Are you able to comprehend the confrontations faced by an autistic child? In the book “The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night Time” by Mark Haddon, the reader is given the opportunity to understand the challenges faced by the protagonist of the story, Christopher Boone. The author of the book is able to empathize an autistic child, because of his broad knowledge of autism and its many challenges. This will be demonstrated by examining Christopher Boone’s ability to learn to interact with strangers and his ability to deal with new environments.
In this book you will have a chance to learn what might be going on in the mind of a child with autism. When you are dealing with a child who has autism, you can become extremely frustrated and wonder if they understand anything you say. Actually, This book has answered many questions for me by giving answers from the mind of this autistic boy. He shows you that his mind is thinking and he does understand what you are saying. Author manag...
Additionally, of the twenty four students with autism only three were female which is consistent with the research on autism identification. Males and females learn differently regardless of disability and parent expectations of their children may also vary due to gender and disability (McDermott, 2008). It’s important to understand the learning styles of the two genders and the needs that the disability presents so that teachers can make instructional
Winerman, Lea. "Effective Education for Autism." Http://www.apa.org. American Psychological Association, Dec. 2004. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. .
2. People with autism have problems with abstract and conceptual thinking. Some may eventually acquire abstract skills, but others never will. When abstract concepts must be used, use visual cues, such as drawings or written words, to augment the abstract idea. Avoid asking vague questions such as, "Why did you do that?" Instead, say, "I did not like it when you slammed your book down when I said it was time for gym. Next time put the book down gently, and tell me that you are angry. Were you showing me that you did not want to go to gym, or that you did not want to stop reading?" Avoid asking essay-type questions. Be as concrete as possible in all your interactions with these students.
Dr. Heward mentions in his presentation that one of the best clear statements about autism can and should be viewed by Gina Green. “Autism is a syndrome of behavior deficits and excesses that have a biological basis but are nonetheless amenable to change through carefully orchestrated, constructive interactions with the physical and social environment” (Green, 2001). While using ABA for improving autism, if the learning procedure is not working it gives you opportunity to change the way the teaching is being taught to improve the learning. Dr. Heward shows a video of a therapist working with a child with autism. The session is teaching communication skills and language skills. The therapist is asking the child questions such as what your
Snell, M. E. (2003). Autism, Education of Individuals with. In J. W. Guthrie (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Education (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 161-162). New York: Macmillan Reference USA.
Direct instruction is tools with empirical evidence proven to help children with autism learn social skills which they can then implement at school and beyond. Direct instruction is defined as the use of a researcher or teache...
Every year there are more and more children born with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and there is more of a need for accommodation for their needs. “The future will likely present teachers with even more students with learning disabilities” (Gerstle and Walsh 35). With these numbers increasing, it is important for teachers and the people around them to understand their struggles and needs. Children and adults with ASD struggle in many areas. They have difficulties taking on daily activities that most people take for granted. There are variations in the severity of these disorders. Some people are very high functioning and have little to no problem performing daily activities, as well as completing complex ones. However, many people with ASD suffer from severe forms of the disorder and cannot care for themselves. No matter the severity, people with autism get support and some form of education, whether it be to care for themselves, or to become educated and eventually contribute to society. Those with moderate to high functioning ASD go to school and some eventually go on to further their education. Despite the struggles specific to each person, they can still be taught effective writing skills. To teach these individuals proper writing skills, it is crucial for educators to understand them and know how to teach them. There are many methods of teaching for educators to use to fit the specific needs of their students. Children and adults with autism spectrum disorders can still be taught effective writing skills through understanding and cooperation of teachers, proven methods of teaching and continuous support.
Children with Autism have many different language abilities that range from no verbal communication to a very complex communication. Half of the students that have Autism do not develop the communication skills needed to be sufficient in today’s society of expectations. These students will have a speech barrier when trying to communi...
In the early school years of a child is when autism is diagnosed. Autism is a disorder that can be a public health challenge, which can be burden for families and people in the community. Researchers have found a possible treatment to help autistic children with social interactions and communication skills. Treatment provides language growth to help autistic children understand what is being said by others and the intention of what is being said. The treatment involves joint attention, realistic communications and the capacity to read non-verbal signals.
Dempsey, I. & Foreman, P. ( 2001). A Review of Educational Approaches for Individuals with Autism. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 48 (1), 105-116.
Jordan, R., & Powell, S. (1995). Understanding and Teaching Children with Autism. New York: Wiley.
Many students have a hard time when it comes to reading. There are many reading inventions that can help students out. Reading inventions are strategies that help students who are having trouble reading. The interventions are techniques that can be used to assist in one on ones with students or working in small groups to help students become a better reader. Hannah is a student who seems to be struggling with many independent reading assignments. There can be many reasons that Hannah is struggling with the independent reading assignments. One of the reasons that Hannah can be struggling with is reading comprehension while she is reading on her on. Reading comprehension is when students are able to read something, they are able to process it and they are able to understand what the text is saying. According to article Evidence-based early reading practices within a response to intervention system, it was mentioned that research strategies that can use to help reading comprehension can include of activating the student’s background knowledge of the text, the teacher can have questions that the student answer while reading the text, having students draw conclusions from the text, having
In this information–driven age, preparing students to read a variety of texts with complete understanding should likely be one of our educational system’s highest priorities. Understanding is more than just the ability to produce information on demand (knowledge) or the ability to perform learned routines (skills). “Understanding is the ability to think and act flexibly with what one knows.” (Active Learning Practice for Schools, n. d.) A review of the literature in the area of reading comprehension of elementary-age students shows two principle areas of focus. There is a body of literature that examines the development of proficient vs. struggling comprehenders and another body of literature that compares methodologies for teaching reading comprehension.