How to Teach Children with Autism to Read

Autistic children can and do learn how to read. In fact, even children with severe autism that cannot speak can learn how to read. In those cases, reading can give children the ability to communicate with the rest of the world, which would not be otherwise possible. When teaching children with autism, use whole word instruction and focus on visual learning. You can take several steps in your classroom to improve the chances that your students will learn how to read. These strategies can be used by parents in the home as well.

Things You'll Need

• Tagboard
• Markers
• Baskets
• Reading material
• Writing and drawing materials
• Digital camera
• Notebooks

Instructions

1. Set up a word wall for students that includes new words. As students come across new words that have meaning for them, add the word to the word wall. If possible, encourage your students to draw pictures to hang next to the words on the wall. Practice reading the words with children and repeat them often.

2. Fill baskets or buckets with different types of reading materials. These materials may range from fiction and non-fiction children's books to nature magazines, instruction manuals, travel brochures, or anything else with pictures or diagrams on them. Make sure to include reading materials that relate to any topics that your students are most interested in.

3. In one section of the room, set up a writing center. Include various types of writing and drawing instruments in the center, such as pens, pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, ink stamps and magnetic writing pads. Encourage students to use the tools often, even if they don't seem to be writing anything legible.

4. Create books with children based on activities they do in the classroom. Use a digital camera to take pictures of students doing various activities, and paste these pictures into a notebook. Encourage students to "read" the book by adding their own oral captions to the pictures, or let them dictate captions that you can write down and later read back to them.

5. Read aloud to them as often as possible. Point out details in the pictures, and ask them to do the same to ensure that they comprehend what you have read.

Tips & Warnings

• Focus on words that the child is motivated to learn. For example, if the child enjoys learning about flowers, read books about flowers, look at flower diagrams, and encourage the child to dictate a story about how a flower grows.

• Although many children learn well with phonics, this is rarely true for children with autism. Focus on whole language instruction instead. Do not force children to read. Instead, surround them with an environment that will motivate them to master reading skills.

References

• Autism and Literacy - Virginia Department of Education