Reading Comprehension Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Literature from 2008 to 2020

Authors

  • Neal Nghia Nguyen, Ph.D. (Author) Stephen F. Austin State University image/svg+xml
    Neal Nghia Nguyen is an associate professor of Early Childhood Education at Stephen F. Austin State University in the Department of Education Studies. His research interests include early childhood education and development, compassion science, neuroscience and early learning, and neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • Noelle Balsamo, Ed. D., BCBA-D (Author) California State University at Fresno image/svg+xml
    Noelle Balsamo is a former assistant professor of Special Education at Florida Gulf Coast University in the Department of Teacher Education. Her research interests include improving identification and description of females with autism spectrum disorder, using evidence-based practices to support the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder in the home, school, and community, promoting parent implemented interventions, integrating compassion and behavioral sciences in early childhood.
  • William Garnett, Ph.D. (Author) California State University at Fresno
    William Garnett is an assistant professor of Special Education at California State University at Fresno. He has been teaching various special education research and method courses in the Department of Literacy, Early, Bilingual, and Special Education. His research interest includes the examination of the intersection between the criminal justice system and disabilities.
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.558
Due to constructs as theoretical explanations (Theory of Mind, Weak Central Coherence, Executive Functioning), reading comprehension has been identified as a notable deficit for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The purpose of this literature review is: (1) to examine, summarize, and analyze the existing published literature on reading comprehension instruction for students with ASD between 2008-2020 with an emphasis on evidence-based practices, (2) to examine the potential influences of the above three constructs, and (3) to provide teachers evidence-based practices that might enhance the reading comprehension skills of students with ASD participating in the general education curriculum. Of the selected twenty nine articles (Research-to-Practice and Empirical), twenty-eight articles examined at least one or more evidence-based strategies as described by Wong et al., (2015) and Steinbrenner et al., (2020). Implications for future research and practice are briefly discussed.

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Bethune, K. S., & Wood, C. L. (2013). Effects of wh-question graphic organizers on reading comprehension skills of students with autism spectrum disorders. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 48(2), 236-244.

Browder, D. M., Root, J. R., Wood, L., & Allison, C. (2017). Effects of a story-mapping procedure using the iPad on the comprehension of narrative texts by students with autism spectrum disorder. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 32(4), 243-255. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357615611387 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357615611387

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Howorth, S. K., & Raimondi, S. (2019). Effects of TWA-supported digitally on comprehension of students with autism spectrum disorder, level 1. Journal of Special Education Technology, 34(3), 162-175. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0162643418801808 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0162643418801808

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Kim, S. Y., Rispoli, M., Lory, C., Gregori, E., & Brodhead, M. T. (2018). The effects of a shared reading intervention on narrative story comprehension and task engagement of students with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 48(10), 3608-3622. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3633-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3633-7

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There are 74 references in total.
Nguyen, N. N., Balsamo, N., & Garnett, W. (2024). Reading Comprehension Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Literature from 2008 to 2020. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 19(3), 44-72. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.558

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  • Submitted August 23, 2024
  • Published October 15, 2024
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