Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Reading Comprehension Instruction for Young Students with Autism: Forming Contextual Connections

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Central coherence is the ability to perceive and connect salient information in a context such as a narrative text. Individuals with autism exhibit a detail-focused cognitive style of processing information that overlooks connections and shows weak central coherence. A six-session instructional intervention to foster coherence processing was administered to first and second graders (N = 10) while a control group (N = 10) received an irrelevant treatment, mean age 7.06 years, 18 males and 2 females. Results showed that the instruction benefited children’s comprehension of narrative text. The intervention improved children’s ability to retell a narrative text and improved first graders’ use of sequence words to retell a story compared to control students. Findings carry implications for designing reading instruction for this special population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Carlson, S. M., Mandell, D. J., & Williams, L. (2004). Executive function and theory of mind: Stability and prediction from ages 2 to 3. Developmental Psychology, 40(6), 1105–1122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, L. M., & Dunn, D. M. (2007). PPVT-4: Peabody picture vocabulary test. Minneapolis, MN: Pearson Assessments.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elosúa, M. R., García-Madruga, J. A., Vila, J. O., Gòmez-Veiga, I., & Gil, L. (2013). Improving reading comprehension: From metacognitive intervention on strategies to the intervention on working memory executive processes. Universitas Psychologica, 12(5), 1425–1438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2010). Fountas & Pinnell benchmark assessment system 1. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frith, U. (1989). Autism: Explaining the enigma. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frith, U. (2003). Autism: Explaining the enigma (2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hala, S., Pexman, P. M., & Glenwright, M. (2007). Priming the meaning of homographs in typically developing children and children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 329–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Happé, F., & Frith, U. (2006). The weak coherence account: Detail-focused cognitive style in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1), 5–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jolliffe, T., & Baron-Cohen, S. (1999). A test of central coherence theory: Linguistic processing in high-functioning adults with autism or Asperger syndrome: Is local coherence impaired? Cognition, 71, 149–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jolliffe, T., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2000). Linguistic processing in high-functioning adults with autism or Asperger syndrome. Can global coherence be achieved? A further test of central coherence theory. Psychological Medicine, 30, 1169–1187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keenan, J. M., Betjemann, R. S., & Olson, R. K. (2008). Reading comprehension tests vary in the skills they assess: Differential dependence on decoding and oral comprehension. Scientific Studies of Reading, 12(3), 281–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kintsch, W., & Van Dijk, T. A. (1978). Toward a model of text comprehension and production. Psychological Review, 85(5), 363–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loukusa, S., Leinonen, E., Kuusikko, S., Jussila, K., Mattila, M., Ryder, N., et al. (2007). Use of context in pragmatic language comprehension by children with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 1049–1059.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nation, K., Clarke, P., Wright, B., & Williams, C. (2006). Patterns of reading ability in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 911–919.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noens, I., & van Berckelaer-Onnes, I. A. (2005). Captured by details: Sense-making, language and communication in autism. Journal of Communication Disorders, 38, 123–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norbury, C. F. (2005). Barking up the wrong tree? Lexical ambiguity resolution in children with language impairments and autistic spectrum disorders. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 90, 142–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norbury, C. F., & Bishop, D. V. M. (2002). Inferential processing and story recall in children with communication problems: A comparison of specific language impairment, pragmatic language impairment and high-functioning autism. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 37(3), 227–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O'Connor, I. M., & Klein, P. D. (2004). Exploration of strategies for facilitating the reading comprehension of high-functioning students with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(2), 115–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., Pennington, B. F., & Rogers, S. J. (1991). Executive function deficits in high-functioning autistic individuals: Relationship to theory of mind. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32(7), 1081–1105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pellicano, E. (2010). Individual differences in executive function and central coherence predict developmental changes in theory of mind in autism. Developmental Psychology, 46(2), 530–544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roux, C., Dion, E., Barrette, A., Dupéré, V., & Fuchs, D. (2014). Efficacy of an intervention to enhance reading comprehension of students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Remedial and Special Education, 34(3), 131–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vermeulen, P. (2012). Autism as context blindness (1st ed.). Kansas: AAPC Publishing, Shawnee Mission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vermeulen, P. (2015). Context blindness in autism spectrum disorder: Not using the forest to see the trees as trees. Focus on Autism and other Developmental Disabilities, 30(3), 182–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, S. J., Burgess, P. W., & Hill, E. L. (2009). Impairments on "open-ended" executive function tests in autism. Autism Research, 2(3), 138–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodcock, R. W. (1987). Woodcock diagnostic reading battery. Itasca, IL: Riverside.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zipke, M., Ehri, L. C., & Cairns, H. S. (2009). Using semantic ambiguity instruction to improve third graders' metalinguistic awareness and reading comprehension: An experimental study. Reading Research Quarterly, 44(3), 300–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This manuscript is based on a doctoral dissertation completed in the Ph.D. Program in Educational Psychology at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Gratitude is expressed to Jay Verkuilen, Donia Fahim, Alpana Bhattacharya, and Sydne McCluskey for their assistance in the conduct of this study. The study was funded in part by a dissertation fellowship from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Psychology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Karen S. Engel & Linnea C. Ehri

Authors
  1. Karen S. Engel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Linnea C. Ehri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

KSE and LE conceived of the research ideas and design. KSE devised and performed the experiments. KSE wrote the manuscript with support from LE who supervised the project.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen S. Engel.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Karen S. Engel received partial funding for this study with a Dissertation Year Fellowship 2016–2017 received from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. The authors have no financial or other conflicts of interest related to this research.

Research involving human participants

All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of The Graduate Center of the City University of New York and NYC Department of Education. The study received IRB approval from The Graduate Center University Integrated Institutional Review Board, #2016-0583 and NYC DOE IRB, #1332. We have complied with APA ethical standards in the treatment of our participants.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all parents or guardians of participants and also from all participants included in this study.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendices

Appendix A

Coherence Processing Task: Homographs Embedded in Ambiguous Sentences

figure a

Coherence Processing Task: Anaphor Resolution

Example. Pretest Passage: John loved to fish with his friends, David and Larry. The weather was beautiful, so he decided to go fishing. He called his friends and got out his fishing rod. His father gave it to him for his birthday. He walked to the shore excited to meet his friends, thinking about catching fish. But the fish just would not bite that day. David looked at his watch. He sighed, “I have to go home now.” All day John and Larry waited and waited, but still no fish. They were hungry and thirsty. It was getting late. But even as the sun went down, they did not move. It was dark when John got home. He called his friend. “We should have left with you.” he said. David laughed, “We can go fishing again. We will catch them tomorrow.”

Example Posttest Passage: Gail walked over to her best friend Kathy’s home. They were playing a game together when they started to fight. Gail said her turn was skipped. She wanted to start over. The game pieces fell on the floor. Kathy turned her back on her friend. “Pick them up!” Kathy shouted. “No. I’m leaving!” Gail shouted back. She slammed the front door shut as she left. After a few minutes, Kathy was sorry for what she had said. She ran out the front door and headed toward her friend’s home. Gail was already on her way back. “I am sorry,” she said. Kathy smiled at her and they walked back down the street together. When they got back to Kathy’s home, they saw the game on the floor. The two friends picked it up and started to play again. “We are friends again,” Gail laughed.

Coherence Processing Task: Story Sequencing

Example. Script. “Place the pictures in the correct order and then tell me the story. What is the title for your story?”

figure b

Appendix B

Examples Used During Sessions 1–6 of the Intervention

Session 1: Examples used for ambiguous words and sentences

figure c

Session 2: Examples used for detecting inconsistencies with ambiguous words

figure d

Session 3: Example of passages used for anaphor resolution

  1. 1

    Fred wanted to wake up early to get to school, but he forgot to set his clock. His father woke him up. He jumped out of bed when he realized he had overslept. Then he ran out of the door. Bill ran up to his friend to walk to school.

  2. 2

    Daniel, Brett, and their mom went out to the farmer’s market on a beautiful sunny day. The boys were shopping for plants for their garden. They chose three plants to take home.

Session 4: Example passage with illustrations used for sequencing

figure e

Session 5: Example of passages used for retelling

  1. 1

    Eric went to the green market to buy an apple tree. He took out his gardening tools to get ready to dig a hole. He dug a big hole and planted his tree. Eric watered the tree and it grew very big. Eric picked some apples from his tree to make an apple pie.

  2. 2

    Mrs. Smith went out to the supermarket to buy food for her family’s dinner. She got home from the shop. She began chopping the carrots and onion and placed them in a bowl. Mrs. Smith checked to see if the food was ready. Mrs. Smith called her family to eat a great big meal.

Session 6: Example of passages used for inferencing

  1. 1

    It was a rainy day in the city. There were many cars driving on the street. A boy was running along the sidewalk to get to school. He was holding a book over his head.

    1. (a)

      Question: Why is the boy holding a book over his head?”

    2. (b)

      Follow-up: How do you know that?

  2. 2

    Kevin’s little brother, Mike played with his scooter all morning. He went inside when Mom called him to eat his lunch. Kevin finished lunch then ran out of his house to play football with his friends. All of a sudden, Kevin tripped and fell, breaking his leg.

    1. (a)

      Question: Why did Kevin trip?

    2. (b)

      Follow-up: How do you know that?

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Engel, K.S., Ehri, L.C. Reading Comprehension Instruction for Young Students with Autism: Forming Contextual Connections. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 1266–1280 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04596-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04596-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation