Description:

The articles in this journal self-study discuss the literacy difficulties many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience, with direct clinical implications for literacy assessment and intervention. The articles, which apply to children across the age spectrum, are from a 2021 forum published in Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, titled “Literacy in Autism—Across the Spectrum.”

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Compare print knowledge skills in three groups of children (those with ASD, those with developmental language disorder, and typically developing children) and describe the degree to which child and family characteristics contribute
• Describe how shared reading activities can facilitate language comprehension skills in children with ASD
• Summarize the process of emergent literacy assessment for children with ASD, including specific considerations for children who have limited verbal communication skills
• List the components that may contribute to reading comprehension difficulties in children with ASD and how applying the DIER model can help identify areas of strength and weakness

Contents

The following articles are included in this course:

• Print Knowledge in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Do Child and Family Variables Play a Role?, by Jaclyn M. Dynia and Emily J. Solari
• Building Comprehension Skills of Young Children With Autism One Storybook at a Time, by Veronica P. Fleury, Kelly Whalon, Carolyn Gilmore, Xiaoning Wang, and Richard Marks
• Emergent Literacy Assessment in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Have Limited Verbal Communication Skills: A Tutorial, by Sally Clendon, Jessica Paynter, Sue Walker, Rachael Bowen, and Marleen F. Westerveld
• Reading Comprehension in School-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Examining the Many Components That May Contribute, by Meghan M. Davidson

Course Reviews

"I liked the ability to read a cohesive collection of articles targeting a single topic. It allows the reader to understand the concept fully and see how implemented within a variety of settings. "

"This course was excellent. It was very useful for organizing research with very helpful evidence-based recommendations and take-aways for practicing clinicians."

"This is by far the best article review I have ever done. As a homeschool mom of child with special need the flexibility of this format appeals to me but often articles are tedious. These articles were easy to read and informative. The information can easily be applied to everyday practice."

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.