Emergent Literacy Assessment in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Have Limited Verbal Communication Skills: A Tutorial

Code- and Meaning-related Emergent Literacy Skills and Joint Attention in Autistic and Non-Autistic Children

Code- and meaning-related emergent literacy skills of autistic children were compared to those of non-autistic children who did not differ on age and full-scale IQ (FSIQ). The associations between joint attention skills and early literacy abilities were of interest. Seventeen autistic and 20 non-autistic children (48 to 72 months) participated. Parents completed a joint attention measure and children completed code- and meaning-related emergent literacy skills measures. Findings showed that autistic and non-autistic children did not differ on code-related emergent literacy skills, letter knowledge and phonological awareness, but autistic children scored lower on print conceptsand name writing. Autistic children also scored lower on meaning-related skills assessing the comprehensive and quality of oral narratives. FSIQ predicted print concept knowledge in all children. Receptive vocabulary was a significant predictor of meaning-related skills in autistic children and the quality of oral narratives in non-autisticchildren. Joint attention was also a significant predictor of oral narrative quality in autistic children. Recommendations for promoting emergent literacy skills using a strength-based approach are discussed.

Impact of reading intervention on the phonological awareness of children with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To review studies that have intervention in reading with impacts on phonological awareness in children with autism spectrum disorder.

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

Searches took place until February 2021 in Cochrane, Embase, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature), PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and gray literature databases.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The review included experimental studies with preschoolers and schoolchildren with ASD. Two independent reviewers selected the studies and, in case of disagreement, a third reviewer was consulted.

DATA ANALYSIS

Joanna Briggs Institute checklists were used for risk of bias. A random effects meta-analysis was performed and the certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE tool.

RESULTS

Eight studies with some impact on phonological awareness were reviewed. The risk of bias was low and moderate. The certainty of the evidence was low for randomized trials and very low for non-randomised trials. Comparison of pre- and post-therapy on the Preschool Literacy Test (TOPEL) showed that children with ASD improved phonological awareness, with a mean difference between baseline and post-therapy of 6.21 (95% CI = 3.75-8.67; I2 = 0%).

CONCLUSION

Shared reading and software activities with words and phrases can alter phonological awareness. These results support further research with larger samples and a detailed description of the intervention to observe its effectiveness in phonological awareness.

Pre-school Skills and School-Age Reading Comprehension in Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Preliminary Investigation

We explored reading comprehension development in children on the spectrum from pre-school to the first (YOS1) and third year of schooling (YOS3). Children were first assessed on meaning-related skills in pre-school. Forty-one children completed follow-up assessments of reading comprehension, reading accuracy, and listening comprehension in YOS1. Nineteen returned for assessments of reading accuracy, reading comprehension, and listening comprehension in YOS3. Children showed poorer reading comprehension than reading accuracy at both timepoints. Reading comprehension, reading accuracy, and listening comprehension were significantly concurrently correlated. Pre-school receptive vocabulary was a significant predictor of YOS3 reading comprehension. Results from this preliminary investigation highlight the potential for early identification of children on the spectrum at risk for reading comprehension difficulties.

The emergent literacy skills of 4- to 5-year-old children with and without a history of late talking

PURPOSE

To explore the emergent literacy skills of 4- to 5-year-old children with a history of late talking (H-LT) and a history of typical development (H-TD) by: (1) determining if the two groups differ on measures of emergent literacy, and (2) identifying the proportion in each group presenting with weak emergent literacy profiles.

METHOD

The emergent literacy skills of 4- to 5-year-old children with a H-LT (n = 13) and a H-TD (n = 11) were compared on measures of phonological awareness, print awareness (including print concepts and letter-sound knowledge), and narrative. Cut-off scores reflecting weak performance for each measure were determined. Children scoring below the cut-off on at least two measures were identified as having a weak emergent literacy profile.

RESULT

Group means indicated poorer emergent literacy performance in children with a H-LT compared to a H-TD, however, comparisons were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Proportionally, more children with a H-LT had a weak emergent literacy profile (8/13; 62%) compared to children with a H-TD (2/11; 18%).

CONCLUSION

Children with a H-LT may be more vulnerable for emergent literacy difficulties. By assessing multiple emergent literacy skills, individualised profiles for children can be determined and reported alongside between-group comparisons.

Effects of adapted Letter-Sound correspondence instruction with older learners with complex communication needs and autism spectrum disorder

Individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are often excluded from learning literacy skills that use phonological approaches due to challenges with verbal production of speech sounds. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of systematic literacy instruction with materials modified to teach letter-sound correspondences (LSC) to pre-adolescent and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with minimal or no speech who use AAC. A single subject design across three letter-sound sets was used, with three individuals with ASD. A total of 12 LSC were targeted in the intervention. During the intervention, the participants were instructed using model, guided, and independent practice trials using low-tech letter tiles followed by two extension activities: letter sorting and initial letter-sound picture books. A functional relationship was established between the LSC intervention and the percent of correct responses on the LSC assessment probes. Very large and large effects sizes were calculated for all participants across the three LSC sets. The study adds to the very limited research base related to phonics instruction for older learners (ages 9 to 18) with ASD, demonstrating that LSC progress can still be made at an older age with systematic instruction.

Introduction to the Forum: Literacy in Autism-Across the Spectrum

Purpose The purpose of this article is to introduce the LSHSS Forum: Literacy in Autism-Across the Spectrum. The articles in this forum provide an overview of the current evidence related to literacy in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from preschool to adolescence and highlight the high literacy needs of this population. Method This introduction provides an overview of some of the reasons why children with ASD are at risk of persistent literacy difficulties and a summary of the six articles included in this forum. Conclusion More research is clearly needed to better understand which factors contribute to the high literacy needs in this population. For now, based on the best available evidence, the authors in this forum provide clear clinical implications that should be highly useful for speech-language pathologists and other professionals involved in literacy assessment and intervention for children and adolescents on the autism spectrum.