Autism, more commonly called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions, communication skills, and cognitive processing. Most individuals with ASDs also demonstrate limited imaginations and a tendency toward repetitive patterns of behavior. Individuals within the spectrum display a range of strengths and weaknesses, and their intellectual abilities may range from above to below average.
Learning to read for understanding can be a challenging task even for typically developing children (see “What is Reading Comprehension, and How Do We Assess It?”). Most children are first taught to read by “code-based” instruction or by phonics. These processes help them decode words by recognizing and manipulating sound-symbols. They also learn to pay attention to orthographic (letters and spelling) patterns in written words.[1] The ultimate goal, though, is to move students beyond these word-reading processes, which use up limited brain processing capacity, so they can shift toward recognizing words’ – and later sentences’- meanings.
It should be noted that phonological awareness of and orthographic knowledge about single words are certainly important foundations for reading, but word recognition by itself is not adequate to achieve complete comprehension.[2] Comprehension is a complex process that depends on not just knowing the structure and meaning of words, but also learning skills such as analyzing the syntactic structure of word combinations, drawing on personal knowledge to interact with the reading’s topic, and applying logical inferences to text where information is not explicitly stated. This shift from understanding how to read to reading for understanding marks the beginning of a new stage in the learning process, and even readers who are fluent may be challenged by this cognitive shift as the texts they encounter increase in both difficulty and length.
Reading for understanding can be especially challenging for ASD individuals, despite the fact that these children may perform well on early tests of reading readiness and decoding. In fact, many are deemed to be “hyperlexic” when they are young: at a stage in the decoding process far ahead of their peers who have no developmental issues. Newman, et al, (2007) found that children with ASDs decode words by relying on the same phonological and orthographic processes as general readers,[3] and Randy, Newman, and Gregorenko suggest that advanced word recognition may develop in these children because of their preoccupation with and intensive practice of reading words.[4] In addition, one study of brain activity showed that hyperlexia may arise from a neurological pattern unique to the autism spectrum. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers found that hyperlexia results from the brain simultaneously drawing upon both the left hemisphere’s phonological and the right hemisphere’s visual processing systems, something not evident in non-ASD individuals.[5]
Since ASD children display early advanced skills at decoding and fluency in reading sentences aloud, they may not be identified as needing any special reading support at the lower grade levels. However, the development of the more abstract skills of reading comprehension in these children does not develop along with their word recognition skills, usually due to cognitive impairment and the resultant inability to organize content structure; in reality, they need a great deal of help with both word meaning (vocabulary) and overall comprehension.[6] This problem persists and progresses as they move up in grade, and they rapidly begin to fall behind their classmates. And while some ASD children can make up lost ground if they receive help, many others can never close the gap caused both by their disorder and by the lack of proper early intervention. It is therefore important to catch the condition as early as possible.[7]
An ASD child’s narrow range of interests and a tendency to focus on details rather than abstractions or inferences can lead to limited exposure to the world and result in a restricted vocabulary. Difficulties with interpersonal relationships can interfere with the ability to learn that other people may have different perspectives, motivations, and beliefs, as well. And rigid thinking can restrict the children’s understanding that words can have multiple meanings and that different words can be used to mean the same thing. All affect reading comprehension.
Reading comprehension instruction has received less emphasis in schools than phonics instruction, although most instructors realize that decoding alone is not sufficient for a complete reading experience. Teaching children to read for meaning is not easy, as it involves a complex set of skills and processes and is affected by individual differences, which may require different kinds of instruction for different learners.[8] This is especially true for children with ASDs where individualized interventions may be necessary for behavioral issues as well as academic skills training.[9]
In next week’s blog, we’ll move away from the characteristics of ASD and look closely at some of the possible interventions that can aid ASD children in mastering the skills required to read and comprehend effectively.
Citations:
[1] Stahl, 2001. In Randi, Judi; Newman, Tina; and Grigorenko, Elena. (July 2010.) Teaching Children with Autism to Read for Meaning: Challenges and Possibilities. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Jul; 40(7): 890–902. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892026/
[2] Nation, 2001. In Randi, Judi; Newman, Tina; and Grigorenko, Elena. (July 2010.) Teaching Children with Autism to Read for Meaning: Challenges and Possibilities. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Jul; 40(7): 890–902. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892026/
[3] Newman, et al., 2007. In Randi, Judi; Newman, Tina; and Grigorenko, Elena. (July 2010.) Teaching Children with Autism to Read for Meaning: Challenges and Possibilities. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Jul; 40(7): 890–902. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892026/
[4] Randi, Judi; Newman, Tina; and Grigorenko, Elena. (July 2010.) Teaching Children with Autism to Read for Meaning: Challenges and Possibilities. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Jul; 40(7): 890–902. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892026/
[5] Turkeltaub, et al., 2004. In Randi, Judi; Newman, Tina; and Grigorenko, Elena. (July 2010.) Teaching Children with Autism to Read for Meaning: Challenges and Possibilities. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Jul; 40(7): 890–902. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892026/
[6] Williams, et al., 2006. In Randi, Judi; Newman, Tina; and Grigorenko, Elena. (July 2010.) Teaching Children with Autism to Read for Meaning: Challenges and Possibilities. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Jul; 40(7): 890–902. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892026/
[7] Osterling, Amy. (February 17, 2011.) Review: Autism Spectrum Reading Comprehension. Retrieved from http://www.scilearn.com/blog/improving-reading-comprehension-skills-autism-spectrum-disorders
[8] Duke and Pearson, 2007. In Randi, Judi; Newman, Tina; and Grigorenko, Elena. (July 2010.) Teaching Children with Autism to Read for Meaning: Challenges and Possibilities. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Jul; 40(7): 890–902. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892026/
[9] Koegel, et al., 2009. In Randi, Judi; Newman, Tina; and Grigorenko, Elena. (July 2010.) Teaching Children with Autism to Read for Meaning: Challenges and Possibilities. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Jul; 40(7): 890–902. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892026/
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