The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

The presentation I am proposing is the culmination of a 4 year study that involved 9 children with autistic disorder (in the middle of the autism spectrum—not those with Asperger’s Syndrome). It presents as a progressive, theoretical foundational piece of research with practical implications. Pointing to new information, understanding, and insights about the reading and language capabilities of children in the middle of the autism spectrum through use of miscue analysis (Goodman, 1965 & 1973), the presentation reveals the otherwise hidden, and rarely recognized, language and reading skills of this population of children.

Miscue analyses of 17 readings completed by the 9 children reveals information about the language the children are aware of in their social surroundings. Beginning with a general overview of the findings of the current research in the area of literacy and autism, the presentation then explains the principles of miscue analysis and introduces the children in the study. Through examination of the types of miscues produced (times when the reader inserts, substitutes or omits words while reading orally), information about the schemas (the organized cognitive structures that guide and control a person’s use of subsequent information and response to experience) and strategies children with autistic disorder use to aid them in transactions with text is revealed. The patterned reading strategies, as well as the language these children use, understand, and apply to make sense of print are examined and explored as well.

One of the most unique things about this presentation is its universal appeal to many audiences (parents, teachers, or researchers in the areas of linguistics, literacy, reading, language, general education, special education, or psychology) through its combination of disciplines (autism, literacy, and language). Throughout the presentation, definitions of key terms as well as concrete examples taken from texts are defined, displayed and discussed. Examples of the findings will be presented through a Power Point presentation. The results of this study tend to challenge what is currently known (and thought to be true) about the reading and language skills of children with autistic disorder by indicating new findings in these areas. New windows of insight into the minds of these children are opened by redefining the language capabilities, reading strategies, and reader characteristics of this population.  The presentation ends with a discussion of pedagogical implications and areas for future research are explored as well .