The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

The program will be divided into sections that will detail the functionality of the program, the research that supports the program and how to implement the program. Functional reading allows for individuals with significant cognitive impairments to access reading skills that will allow them to better understand the print required to participate efficiently in society. Functional reading is important because it gives individuals access to reading that will help improve their life, and will thus allow them to achieve more as they mature into adulthood. 

Functional reading combines traditional reading methods with other methods to increase knowledge. Current research supports that adding symbols to print increases comprehension of the text (Jones, Long & Finlay, 2007). Functional reading teaches individuals to process words that are more meaningful to them; in many cases, there are symbols that coincide with these words, to present them as they naturally occur in the everyday world. The use of phonological awareness is used in conjunction with other strategies in a functional reading program. Functional reading incorporates teaching students how to sound out words, as well as teaching words in a sight word fashion. Specific letter combinations (/ch/,/ing/,/ed/, etc.) are taught to individuals, whereas words such as “knee” are taught using symbols to pair with the word. Eventually, the symbol is removed and the word becomes part of their sight vocabulary. 

Other specific strategies to teach functional reading will also be shown, including how to incorporate functional reading into an already established curriculum, and how to assess the reading ability of non-verbal students. Often, non-verbal students have the ability to read some words but the inability to express those words. When given the opportunity to point to a word or use an alternative, pencil reading skills can be assessed. Rao describes a non-reader as someone who is unable to read or identify one word -- everyone else is a reader (2006).    

Incorporating menus, signs, price tags, etc., into a functional reading program will provide an opportunity for children to be given direct instruction so that a generalization does not have to be made by the child. Usually, tasks that children are given should generalize to their natural environment, but many children with significant cognitive impairments lack the ability to form generalizations, so it must be provided to them through first-hand experience for them to be successful at the task.

Additional techniques that will be presented are ways to teach children that incorporate as many senses as possible. To increase comprehension of material, children need to be given the opportunity to hear it, see it, write something about it, find pictures or draw pictures to represent the text, or, in many instances, cooking a representation of the text. Since functional reading focuses on teaching the child to read words and texts that are important to making them as independent as possible, most of the senses can be stimulated to increase comprehension. Following a recipe/directions is an essential skill to independent living and requires the use of many subjects in one task. Another focus of functional reading is to make it as natural for the child as possible. Participants will make several functional reading tools that can be implemented at home or in the classroom to help increase the functional reading of children.