Shari Robertson, PhD., CCC-SLP, BCS-CL: Dynamic Resources, LLC: Financial: Other Financial Benefit - Some of the materials used to demonstrate strategies are published by my company (Ongoing); ISHA: Financial - Honoraria (Ongoing). No non-financial relationships to disclose
Potential reading comprehension problems in autistic children can be identified from their earliest interactions with text. Unfortunately, the problem is often overlooked, masked by strong decoding and memory skills, until the later grades when reading demands increase. While it may appear that the student has "suddenly" developed a comprehension problem, the deficit has actually been there all along - hiding in plain sight. This session will explore how the core deficits of autistic individuals impact their reading comprehension, a critical skill for success in academic, social, and vocational settings. Discussion, demonstration, and hands-on application of assessment techniques and evidence-supported intervention strategies to facilitate reading comprehension for autistic students (also appropriate for neuro-typical students) will be provided.
Learning Objectives:
At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
Discuss the development of reading for individuals who are typically developing and those with ASD in order to identify students on your caseload who may be at risk for reading comprehension deficits
Conduct appropriate assessment strategies to facilitate reading comprehension for readers with ASD.
Implement evidence-supported intervention strategies for facilitating comprehension for readers with ASD - and all readers.