Abstract
Preschoolers on the autism spectrum are at risk of persistent language and literacy difficulties thus research into shared book reading (SBR) in this group is important. We observed 47 parents and their verbal preschoolers on the spectrum sharing two unfamiliar picture books and coded the interactions for parent and child behaviors. Parents were able to engage their child in SBR and demonstrated a range of print- and meaning-related SBR behaviors with no evidence of a focus on print. Multiple regressions showed direct effects of parents’ explicit teaching of story structure and use of questions on their children’s verbal participation. Further research is needed to unpack the potential transactional relationships between parent and child SBR behaviors to inform early intervention.
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Notes
This choice of language is in line with stakeholder preferences across groups (Kenny et al. 2016).
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the parents for sharing their home-recorded SBR videos.
Funding
This study received financial support from the Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), established and supported under the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres Program.
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The first author has a financial relationship with SALT Software, LLC. SALT Software, LLC, did not participate in the design, execution, or analysis/interpretation of the project/project data nor did it review the article before submission. The authors declare they have no other conflict of interest.
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Appendix
Appendix
Coding Guidelines for Shared Book Reading Videos
Start time: Once the book has been selected and when the book related discussion begins. Do not code video footage preceding this time (e.g., parent setting up the camera).
End time: Once the book related discussion has ceased. DO code post-book discussions about the story, questions about the story structure, child retells, summarizations, second readings, and time spent looking at/discussing pages (including the back cover).
Please note: Story book related behaviors should only be coded if they are directed towards the target child. Any questions, answers or comments directed to anyone else in the video should not be included.
Behavior: Words Words Words: Exposure to book language [W]
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W1: Labelling/describing pictures using words or gestures.
Examples: Points to pictures while reading word (labelling).
Look at the little dog (while pointing to picture).
Does NOT include imitations of the child’s utterance.
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W2: Linking words to another object or event related to the child’s own experience.
Examples: This puppy looks like (child’s dog’s name) doesn’t he?
That’s why mummy makes sure she ties your balloon to your wrist.
It popped, just like your balloon!
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W3: Explaining word meanings and associations in a way the child can understand.
Examples: May include a definition: A kennel is a house for doggies.
Associations: It’s a bucket, it’s like a box; A pony is like a small horse.
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W4: Emphasizing low frequency words, not encountered in everyday discourse.
Examples: Ferocious, aquarium, kennel, author, illustrator, shop keeper, grinned, dashed, fox, crow, badger.
Behavior: Explicit Teaching of Print-Related Skills [EP]
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EP1: Parent points to text.
Examples: While parent or child is reading, parent points to specific words (often to highlight).
Parent points out words on the pages and comments about them (e.g., This says…)
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EP2: Parent talks about print features.
Examples: The title of this book is “Pop Up Peekaboo, Woof Woof!”
It was illustrated by …. (Note: count the words ‘author’ and ‘illustrator’ as low frequency words [W4])
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EP3: Parent talks about letter names and sounds.
Parent identifies a letter on the page and makes link to the letter sound: That is the letter S, it makes a sssss sound!; P says…?
Behavior: Explicit Teaching of Story-Structure [ESS]
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ESS1: Parent talks about the main character/s outside of the text.
Examples: This story is about Pip and Posy and a big balloon/a puppy dog…
Who do you think this story will be about?
Who were the characters in the story?
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ESS2: Parent asks questions and/or makes comments about what happens next in the story to encourage the child to make predictions.
Examples: What do you think will happen next?
What do you think he will do?
Note: Include questions which prompt the child to make a prediction in order to answer e.g., What should she do now? What do you think her great idea is?
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ESS3: Parent comments about or summarizes the story, referring to the characters, setting, problem, events, and/or ending.
Examples: Parent makes connections: Pip is sad because his balloon popped! (if discussed at the end of the book)
He needs a new balloon because his one burst!
Oh no! His balloon burst! That’s a big problem!
Behavior: Asking Questions [Q]
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Q1: Parent asks the child open ended questions related to the story or book e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how.
Examples: Who is this story about?
What will happen next?
Where are they going?
Note: does not include requests to label e.g., What is this? What is he doing?
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Q2: Parent requests that the child label a picture/action, imitate a word/phrase, and/or asks a sentence completion question related to the story or book.
Examples: What’s this?
What is he doing?
Pip has a…
And then…
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Q3: Parent asks the child closed ended questions related to the story or book (e.g., yes/no, forced-choice questions, requests to point).
Examples: Is this his balloon?
Is he happy or sad?
Should he play bubbles or go home?
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Q4: Parent asks the child tag questions related to the story or the book.
Examples: He’s happy now, isn’t he?
Balloons are supposed to pop, aren’t they?
You can see it in the picture, can’t you?
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Westerveld, M.F., Paynter, J. & Wicks, R. Shared Book Reading Behaviors of Parents and Their Verbal Preschoolers on the Autism Spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord 50, 3005–3017 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04406-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04406-6