Reading Comprehension in ASD: The Intersection of Language, Social Competence, and Reading

Christi Carnahan Author

09/19/2016 Added

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This webinar will discuss the following: Social communication, reading, and writing What is reading comprehension? Reading profiles in ASD Big ideas in reading comprehension

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[00:00:00.610]Good afternoon, I'm Christy Carnahan
[00:00:03.126]and I'm excited to be here today alongside my good friend
[00:00:06.511]and colleague, Pam Williamson.
[00:00:08.232]Pam's background is in the area of reading
[00:00:10.777]and special education.
[00:00:12.612]My background is in the area of special education
[00:00:16.435]and specifically, meeting the needs of individuals
[00:00:20.407]with significant communication, sensory
[00:00:22.778]and behavioral challenges.
[00:00:24.507]Today we're going to talk about our work
[00:00:27.175]which we've been connecting for the last 10 years or so.
[00:00:31.829]And really around the literacy needs
[00:00:37.365]of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
[00:00:41.031]We are both passionate about meeting the needs
[00:00:44.005]of these individuals in the area of literacy
[00:00:47.442]and really building literacy, not only as a functional skill
[00:00:51.351]that's important in school, but as a life skill
[00:00:54.991]that is about communication in engaging and sharing
[00:01:01.982]and gaining information from others.
[00:01:07.596]We're excited to be here with you today
[00:01:09.892]and we look forward to hearing your questions
[00:01:11.415]at the end of the session.
[00:01:16.897]Today is the first in a two part series
[00:01:19.219]on literacy for learners with autism spectrum disorder.
[00:01:22.824]Before we begin, we would like to take a few minutes
[00:01:25.993]to discuss the lens with which
[00:01:27.883]we approach and view literacy.
[00:01:30.335]Literacy is not something for which an individual
[00:01:33.064]needs to be ready, rather, literacy refers to
[00:01:36.526]the shared interactions through which we gain or receive
[00:01:39.983]and share information.
[00:01:41.664]At its core, literacy is an essential part
[00:01:44.568]of the human experience.
[00:01:46.371]We believe that all individuals, and we mean all,
[00:01:49.874]no matter their perceived level of functioning
[00:01:52.992]are capable of engaging in literacy experiences.
[00:01:56.720]For the remainder of this section, we will discuss
[00:01:59.728]the social communication, reading and writing needs
[00:02:05.104]of individuals with autism spectrum disorder,
[00:02:08.673]specifically the inner section of cognition in autism
[00:02:12.894]and reading comprehension.
[00:02:17.138]We will discuss the specific aspects
[00:02:19.747]of reading comprehension and what it means
[00:02:22.084]to read with comprehension.
[00:02:23.834]We will then talk about reading profiles in ASD
[00:02:27.204]and lastly and with a brief introduction into some
[00:02:30.948]big ideas in teaching reading comprehension
[00:02:34.254]to individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
[00:02:39.312]As we mentioned,
[00:02:41.345]literacy is a uniquely social experience.
[00:02:44.637]Not only do we engage in social interactions with others
[00:02:47.799]through literacy, but through our social interactions
[00:02:50.528]we develop literacy skills.
[00:02:52.696]From just a few weeks of age,
[00:02:54.804]infants begin to engage in shared experiences with others.
[00:02:58.336]Through these shared experiences,
[00:03:00.419]they develop an understanding
[00:03:02.010]of complex communication exchanges
[00:03:04.164]and begin to understand how people direct their own
[00:03:07.429]and other's attention and behavior.
[00:03:10.181]One critical skill that develops early,
[00:03:13.290]is the ability to match the word someone uses
[00:03:16.085]with the referent or object to which the word refers.
[00:03:19.624]By coordinating our attention with an individual's words,
[00:03:23.265]we begin to develop sophisticated understandings
[00:03:25.946]of how things work and the language and vocabulary
[00:03:29.700]to describe many different things in our environment.
[00:03:33.383]When we share our attention with others,
[00:03:35.855]we also come to understand how conversations
[00:03:38.969]and shared interactions work.
[00:03:41.124]Think of a young child, for example,
[00:03:43.613]who hears an airplane.
[00:03:45.321]The child often stops or pauses, looks at an adult,
[00:03:49.410]looks to the sky while pointing
[00:03:52.053]and then shifts their gaze back and forth.
[00:03:55.790]This sets the stage for sharing nuance turn taking
[00:04:00.010]and eventually, sophisticated conversations.
[00:04:04.062]These social exchanges provide lots of opportunity
[00:04:07.963]to practice directing our attention,
[00:04:11.025]shifting between one activity or topic and another,
[00:04:15.163]making and executing plans
[00:04:17.357]and self-monitoring our own behavior.
[00:04:20.396]A complex set of skills often described
[00:04:23.489]as executive function.
[00:04:25.883]Essentially, when children jointly engage
[00:04:28.815]with others, they are developing critical skills
[00:04:31.949]for social communication and conventional literacy
[00:04:34.658]or reading and writing.
[00:04:36.362]At its heart, however, autism is marked by differences
[00:04:40.292]in social communication and to an extent,
[00:04:43.008]executive function.
[00:04:44.618]Both which are likely linked
[00:04:46.605]to how they direct their attention.
[00:04:49.042]Let's talk for a minute about the differences
[00:04:51.694]individuals with ASD experience in each of these areas.
[00:04:57.535]First, in the area of language,
[00:05:00.124]individuals may experience is different
[00:05:03.365]in how they learn words.
[00:05:06.799]Difficulty understanding multiple meanings of words
[00:05:09.693]and interpreting figurative language.
[00:05:12.569]Some students with autism may learn nouns before words,
[00:05:16.356]such as ball before throw and also have difficulty
[00:05:19.484]assigning more than one meaning to an individual word.
[00:05:23.435]Once a student learns the meaning of a word
[00:05:27.529]to mean something specific, he may forever know the word
[00:05:30.990]to only represent that one meaning.
[00:05:33.630]For example, if a student learns the word foot
[00:05:36.449]to mean a body part, he may have difficulty also assigning
[00:05:40.013]the word additional meaning such as a measurement
[00:05:43.269]or 12 inches or using the word in a phrase such as
[00:05:47.369]the foot of the bed.
[00:05:48.855]Individuals with ASD may also have difficulty interpreting
[00:05:52.686]and using figurative language such as idioms and similes
[00:05:56.404]and needs someone to provide specific and direct
[00:05:59.918]or discreet instruction in the meaning of each of these,
[00:06:03.880]of very specific kind phrases
[00:06:06.495]and these different figures of speech.
[00:06:09.596]Language is directly related
[00:06:11.662]to reading comprehension on several levels.
[00:06:14.527]In order to understand a text,
[00:06:16.669]and individual must not be only be able
[00:06:19.299]to decode the words on the page
[00:06:21.232]but also understand the meaning of those words
[00:06:23.862]which is essential.
[00:06:25.386]When individuals begin to read and write,
[00:06:28.395]their language skills form the base
[00:06:30.534]of what they will understand.
[00:06:32.600]Eventually, and importantly however,
[00:06:35.123]students' understanding in knowledge
[00:06:37.694]grows through their reading and writing.
[00:06:40.218]Essentially, the shift from using their knowledge
[00:06:44.195]to read and write, to using reading and writing
[00:06:47.358]to expand their vocabulary and conceptual knowledge.
[00:06:54.689]In addition to language,
[00:06:56.589]individuals with autism also demonstrate differences
[00:06:59.588]in the area of executive function
[00:07:01.711]that impact her reading comprehension.
[00:07:04.272]These learners often have difficulty knowing
[00:07:07.153]where to direct their attention,
[00:07:09.071]when or how to shift from one topic or activity to another
[00:07:13.076]in monitoring their on-task behavior,
[00:07:15.990]These attention setting and shifting differences
[00:07:19.420]and difficulty self-monitoring, all combine
[00:07:22.599]with language differences increase the complexity
[00:07:25.936]of learning challenges many individuals face
[00:07:28.939]both academically and socially.
[00:07:31.464]Specifically when reading, our executive function skills
[00:07:35.419]allow us to direct our attention to the text at hand.
[00:07:38.709]Use cues such as the title and picture to make predictions
[00:07:42.542]and set our purpose and then to monitor both our attention
[00:07:46.816]and understanding as we read.
[00:07:51.542]If you've ever had to stop reading to go back
[00:07:54.736]and read again because you realize you read
[00:07:57.492]several sentences or even paragraphs without attending,
[00:08:00.595]you've experienced your executive functions skills at work.
[00:08:04.722]We previously mentioned the social communication differences
[00:08:08.936]individuals with ASD encounter.
[00:08:11.597]These are often discussed under the umbrella term,
[00:08:15.284]"a theory of mind."
[00:08:16.850]Theory of mind, refers to a understanding
[00:08:19.646]that we all have different perspectives
[00:08:21.814]and our perspectives drive our behavior.
[00:08:24.740]In the past few years, (clears throat)
[00:08:28.552]the discussion regarding the role
[00:08:30.123]of theory of mind in Autism has shifted.
[00:08:33.101]Traditionally, individuals with ASD were described
[00:08:36.495]as not understanding different perspectives.
[00:08:39.274]However, it's becoming clear that these individuals
[00:08:43.077]with autism have different levels of theory of mind
[00:08:46.675]and that their individual language
[00:08:48.800]and attentional differences influence these skills.
[00:08:52.391]To say it another way, autism is a spectrum
[00:08:55.630]and it's likely, theory of mind skills
[00:08:58.570]vary across the spectrum.
[00:09:01.035]Recently, there has been discussion that both language
[00:09:04.317]and executive function skills interact with theory of mind
[00:09:08.174]to influence both social skills and reading comprehension
[00:09:12.563]for individuals with ASD.
[00:09:15.550]Our hypothesis is, yes and yes.
[00:09:19.140]There is likely an interaction,
[00:09:21.079]but the degree of the influence and the kind of influence
[00:09:24.449]likely vary from person to person.
[00:09:27.272]This is a lot of information,
[00:09:29.650]and it can be really complicated,
[00:09:32.122]so to summarize, early joint attention sets the stage
[00:09:36.224]and supports the development of both
[00:09:38.697]early executive function and vocabulary skills.
[00:09:42.196]These executive function and vocabulary skills
[00:09:45.289]are directly related to social communication
[00:09:48.084]or theory of mind and reading comprehension.
[00:09:51.755]Thus, the language and vocabulary differences
[00:09:55.041]combined with social communication
[00:09:57.046]and/or perspective taking differences
[00:09:59.155]all influence how an individual with autism
[00:10:01.579]will comprehend written text.
[00:10:03.798]Moving from decoding words on a page
[00:10:06.422]to actually understanding what we read
[00:10:08.868]required a sophisticated interaction
[00:10:11.235]between knowing the words, what the words mean,
[00:10:14.014]understanding perspectives of the writer or character
[00:10:17.367]and managing our own attention
[00:10:19.622]which are all complex processings.
[00:10:22.387]Especially for readers with ASD.
[00:10:24.915]On the next slide, we're going to begin talking in detail
[00:10:28.625]about what it means to really read with comprehension.
[00:10:36.426]Reading comprehension is about more
[00:10:39.324]than decoding words on a page.
[00:10:41.645]When we read, we read for meaning
[00:10:44.221]which involves decoding the words,
[00:10:46.392]understanding their meaning
[00:10:48.107]and activating relevant background knowledge.
[00:10:51.033]To put it another way, when we read,
[00:10:53.950]we take our understanding of the words on the page
[00:10:57.032]and integrate it with what we already know
[00:10:59.891]about the topic or our existing experiences.
[00:11:04.595]This information then either
[00:11:06.789]affirms our current understanding
[00:11:09.156]or helps us to develop new knowledge.
[00:11:11.793]Let's take a minute to look a bit deeper at this process.
[00:11:15.887]We view reading from a theoretical model termed
[00:11:19.572]as the construction integration model.
[00:11:22.600]In this model, there are two levels to comprehension
[00:11:26.485]including first understanding the words on the page
[00:11:29.846]and then integrating this understanding with what you know,
[00:11:33.773]making inferences and incorporating
[00:11:36.525]your social understanding.
[00:11:38.346]The first level of understanding is called the Text Base.
[00:11:42.247]When we use the term, construct an accurate text base,
[00:11:46.103]we mean that an individual actually understands the words
[00:11:50.275]written on the page.
[00:11:52.782]For example, if we read, the girl went to the mall,
[00:11:56.718]she bought shoes there.
[00:11:58.660]The text base refers to the actually word such as
[00:12:02.578]girl, went, mall and shoes.
[00:12:06.175]However, to develop a deep understanding,
[00:12:09.256]we have to activate our knowledge related to shopping,
[00:12:12.573]malls and purchasing.
[00:12:14.392]We bring both our understanding of the words together
[00:12:18.293]with our knowledge of these key concepts
[00:12:20.978]to make inferences that vary in complexity.
[00:12:23.991]For example, we infer that girl and she are the same.
[00:12:28.345]And that mall and there are the same.
[00:12:31.241]On a much deeper level, we use our understanding
[00:12:34.722]of the words and concepts to make inferences
[00:12:37.957]that a mall is a place where you can shop
[00:12:40.648]and thus, the girl bought shoes at the mall.
[00:12:44.145]Even though the author does not ever explicitly
[00:12:47.974]make this direct statement.
[00:12:51.551]In addition to understanding the words
[00:12:54.675]and using background knowledge,
[00:12:57.000]our social skills influence our comprehension.
[00:13:00.478]Our social skills help us recognize the feelings
[00:13:04.264]and perspective of characters and inform our understanding
[00:13:07.982]of our text.
[00:13:09.412]Together, our language, social and executive function skills
[00:13:13.614]all influence how we comprehend a story.
[00:13:21.871]Let's now return to our example,
[00:13:24.856]the girl went to the mall, she bought shoes there.
[00:13:27.572]But add a few additional lines.
[00:13:29.473]She called her friend with excitement,
[00:13:31.116]they are both having trouble waiting until Friday.
[00:13:34.289]We draw on our social understanding to understand
[00:13:37.572]that someone might be happy to have new shoes
[00:13:40.378]and want to share this with a friend.
[00:13:42.630]Then integrating our understanding of the words on the page
[00:13:45.650]our knowledge of the girls' perspective
[00:13:48.332]and our own experiences about buying shoes
[00:13:51.826]for a special occasion, we make a prediction.
[00:13:55.283]They have a special event on Friday night
[00:13:58.197]and are really looking forward to it.
[00:14:02.689]Well, social skills, executive function and language
[00:14:05.630]and vocabulary are all important to this comprehension.
[00:14:09.590]It may be helpful to know that students
[00:14:12.492]with stronger vocabulary and language skills
[00:14:14.825]will often have better or deeper comprehension.
[00:14:18.607]Let's bring it all together.
[00:14:21.645]Students with autism often have significant differences
[00:14:24.920]in language and vocabulary skills,
[00:14:27.190]how they understand the perspectives of others,
[00:14:30.101]and their to activate and integrate
[00:14:32.766]relevant background knowledge while reading.
[00:14:35.829]This is especially true in the realities
[00:14:38.408]of our daily classroom lives when environments are busy,
[00:14:42.088]distractions are plentiful and many things compete
[00:14:45.504]for our attention.
[00:14:46.907]So when language demands are high, text is complex
[00:14:50.635]and situations are dynamic,
[00:14:52.638]such as our typical classroom settings,
[00:14:54.781]students with autism who otherwise appear to have
[00:14:57.607]high language, theory of mind or executive function skills,
[00:15:01.189]often demonstrate significant challenges
[00:15:03.876]with reading comprehension.
[00:15:05.862]To say it another way, though individual students
[00:15:09.417]may have strong skills in some or all of these areas,
[00:15:12.860]when we present them with complex reading assignments
[00:15:16.004]in our busy classrooms, they may need a great deal
[00:15:21.182]of support to be successful.
[00:15:23.561]About five years ago, we started studying
[00:15:26.776]how individuals with autism approach
[00:15:29.159]and comprehend written text.
[00:15:31.319]On the next slides, we'll take a look at these profiles
[00:15:34.956]beginning to emerge.
[00:15:38.441]You won't be surprised to hear
[00:15:40.668]that how individuals with autism approach text
[00:15:43.619]varies across a continuum.
[00:15:46.444]Some individuals whom we refer to as strategic comprehenders
[00:15:50.558]use strategies that are often described
[00:15:53.331]as good reader behaviors while reading.
[00:15:56.422]These behaviors include strategies such as connecting
[00:15:59.859]to previous experiences
[00:16:01.760]and questioning the text while reading.
[00:16:04.857]For example, while reading a text about Halloween,
[00:16:08.743]a student we know, vocalized the question,
[00:16:11.301]"I wonder how long ago this story actually means."
[00:16:14.899]The student who falls in the strategic profile
[00:16:18.370]often develop and accurate understanding of the words
[00:16:22.045]on the page and integrate their background knowledge.
[00:16:25.896]So, we say they have developed an accurate situation model
[00:16:30.162]or overall understanding of the text.
[00:16:34.183]However, the special interest these learners have
[00:16:37.989]may overshadow or distract them from comprehending the text.
[00:16:42.106]For example, the same student we just described
[00:16:45.513]often linked the stories he read
[00:16:47.987]to his special interests, the Titanic.
[00:16:50.876]He made connections between the text and Titanic,
[00:16:54.744]that while they were plausible, also distracted him
[00:16:58.675]from thinking about comprehending the text.
[00:17:03.144]For these students, it is important to focus on activating
[00:17:06.915]relevant background knowledge
[00:17:08.890]while directing their attention to apply comprehension
[00:17:12.296]strategies in the context of the text.
[00:17:17.611]Students who tend towards the text bound profile,
[00:17:20.578]are those learners who overly focus on the words on the page
[00:17:24.552]without activating or integrating any background knowledge.
[00:17:29.820]They tend to be learners who repeat the last word they hear,
[00:17:33.573]specific phrases from a sentence
[00:17:36.532]or even repeat back exact words from the question,
[00:17:41.558]often without actually answering the question.
[00:17:45.424]For these learners, it is essential to support them
[00:17:49.011]in thinking about what they know
[00:17:50.979]before beginning instruction.
[00:17:54.140]This not only helps them prepare to integrate
[00:17:56.919]their existing knowledge and experiences
[00:17:59.391]but also elicits language related to the topic.
[00:18:03.300]By activating both conceptual knowledge
[00:18:06.461]and the related language,
[00:18:09.047]it is possible students will make more connections,
[00:18:12.984]demonstrate deeper understanding,
[00:18:15.570]and be able to share these connections
[00:18:18.374]and understanding with others to demonstrate comprehension.
[00:18:23.632]When working with students who appear to be text bound,
[00:18:27.037]you might use visuals such as pictures or photographs,
[00:18:31.474]written reminders, or a combination
[00:18:34.405]to begin talking about the related conceptual knowledge.
[00:18:39.722]Then, while reading, you may need to literally show them
[00:18:43.981]the connections by referring to the pictures
[00:18:47.386]and describing the connections.
[00:18:50.748]On the other side of the continuum, however,
[00:18:54.285]are learners who tend towards the imaginative.
[00:18:58.221]They often overemphasize or focus on their prior knowledge
[00:19:02.313]and experiences to such and extent that they can turn
[00:19:06.695]any text into a related story.
[00:19:09.977]Often, these students answer questions
[00:19:12.457]based on their special interest area or previous experiences
[00:19:16.603]rather than what is actually in the text.
[00:19:21.251]For these students, it is essential to continually
[00:19:24.284]direct them back to the text.
[00:19:27.078]You might talk about their prior knowledge and experiences
[00:19:30.620]before beginning to read but then give them a list
[00:19:33.477]in writing, pictures or a combination
[00:19:36.177]of things that are related and can be used
[00:19:38.842]for connections and those that are not related and
[00:19:41.916]that are going to be the we-can-talk-about-it-later list.
[00:19:48.130]As students read, you may need to even say,
[00:19:51.511]"That's not in the text,
[00:19:53.401]we're not talking about that right now."
[00:19:56.422]For teachers with lots of experience teaching reading,
[00:19:59.997]this can feel uncomfortable.
[00:20:01.994]We want students to make connections.
[00:20:04.503]But it's important to remember that for students
[00:20:08.082]who tent towards the imaginative,
[00:20:10.555]these connections are distracting and actually decrease
[00:20:14.543]students' learning and comprehension.
[00:20:17.560]Let's take a minute now to begin thinking about
[00:20:20.923]some of the students you know.
[00:20:24.676]Chose and individual,
[00:20:26.486]a young boy or a girl from your classroom
[00:20:29.667]and go ahead and write his or her name down
[00:20:32.514]on a piece of paper.
[00:20:39.771]Now that you've identified a learner,
[00:20:42.607]let's start by asking you to answer this question.
[00:20:46.714]Which profile might this student fall into?
[00:20:51.419]Think about that.
[00:20:52.688]Think about what you know about each of the profiles
[00:20:55.241]for just a minute, then identify the profile
[00:20:58.333]with which this student might closely align.
[00:21:04.004]Add that profile under the student's name on your page.
[00:21:12.285]Now, an even deeper question.
[00:21:16.152]What is your evidence that that student
[00:21:18.303]might fall into that profile?
[00:21:20.954]I'm going to pause here for just a minute
[00:21:23.278]and ask you to write down some specific details
[00:21:27.945]or data that support why you added,
[00:21:32.105]why you believe that student falls into that profile.
[00:21:53.400]As you're writing, try to recall some specific examples.
[00:21:59.748]Add those examples to your sheet.
[00:22:34.363]Now think instructionally.
[00:22:37.585]What does that student need you to do?
[00:22:41.367]Is this a learner who needs access
[00:22:43.185]to more background knowledge and related vocabulary?
[00:22:47.324]Is this a kiddo who really has a good deal
[00:22:50.387]of relevant background knowledge but might need help
[00:22:53.593]applying that as he or she applies a specific
[00:22:58.114]reading comprehension strategy?
[00:23:01.902]Is this a learner who needs you to glue them to the text?
[00:23:06.775]Who might get too far off without you constantly saying,
[00:23:10.922]we're only talking about what's in the text?
[00:23:15.642]Make yourself some notes about the specific strategy
[00:23:19.589]or approach you might need to apply with this learner.
[00:23:25.037]I'll give you another minute to think that through.
[00:24:14.787]You have about 20 seconds left,
[00:24:17.297]so please take a minute to wrap up your thoughts.
[00:24:34.436]Now, before we move on,
[00:24:39.586]let's just do a brief summary.
[00:24:42.581]We started by talking about some of the factors
[00:24:44.976]that make up the cognitive profile that we see
[00:24:48.589]in many individuals with autism.
[00:24:51.260]We talked about the role of early engagement,
[00:24:53.901]enjoying attention.
[00:24:55.312]We talked about executive function, theory of mind,
[00:24:59.073]and other social competence.
[00:25:05.183]And we talked about those in the context
[00:25:08.129]of social communication.
[00:25:10.331]We also discussed the process of reading comprehension
[00:25:13.442]that requires us to both know the words on the page
[00:25:16.977]and activate our background knowledge
[00:25:19.482]so that we can develop an accurate situation model
[00:25:23.139]or overall understanding of the text.
[00:25:26.729]Then, we talked about the different reading profiles,
[00:25:30.126]including the strategic, the text bound and the imaginative.
[00:25:35.751]And we briefly discussed ways you might tailor
[00:25:38.745]your instruction to help students either
[00:25:41.019]increase their level of background knowledge,
[00:25:43.578]more closely focus on the text,
[00:25:46.215]or apply what they know in the context of the reading
[00:25:50.211]comprehensions strategies they're already using.
[00:25:55.713]Let's now shift our focus briefly
[00:25:58.365]to begin thinking about some big ideas
[00:26:01.373]in reading instruction that will support comprehension
[00:26:04.689]and hopefully also the ongoing the development of language
[00:26:09.845]and vocabulary and social communication skills.
[00:26:16.412]Given the complexities of reading comprehension
[00:26:19.434]for learners with autism, especially given the critical role
[00:26:23.218]of language, social communication and cognition
[00:26:26.609]and executive function and the fact that differences
[00:26:29.970]in each of these areas are essentially markers of autism,
[00:26:33.923]it isn't surprising that supporting reading comprehension
[00:26:38.025]for learners with autism can be challenging.
[00:26:41.377]However, despite these challenges,
[00:26:43.858]the work of supporting reading comprehension
[00:26:46.497]is both fun and rewarding.
[00:26:48.637]We've seen literacy instruction and more specifically,
[00:26:52.021]instruction in the area of reading comprehension,
[00:26:55.275]literally change lives.
[00:26:58.228]Remember, when you're addressing the literacy needs
[00:27:01.518]of individuals with autism, you aren't just preparing them
[00:27:04.968]to do well in school, instead, you're trying to make
[00:27:08.137]a significant impact on the quality of the lives.
[00:27:11.916]Perhaps the most important thing you hear
[00:27:14.300]from this entire session, is that individuals with autism
[00:27:17.838]need literacy and need quality literacy instruction
[00:27:21.669]every day no matter their perceived level of functioning.
[00:27:26.691]So, we mean all learners,
[00:27:28.818]even those with the most challenging communication,
[00:27:32.884]sensory or behavioral differences must have
[00:27:36.290]quality literacy instruction every single day.
[00:27:42.080]I'd like to take a minute to tell you a story
[00:27:44.431]about a young man I worked with just this week.
[00:27:47.574]His name is Paul and he is 19 years old.
[00:27:50.351]Paul has significant communication and sensory challenges.
[00:27:54.401]He's been moved from school to school
[00:27:56.729]but finally settled in a classroom
[00:27:58.740]where teachers care about and want to support him.
[00:28:01.734]However, because of how Paul presents,
[00:28:04.792]it is often hard to see how much he's actually capable of.
[00:28:09.677]He's a big guy and his physical looks
[00:28:12.307]can be a bit intimidating, to say the least.
[00:28:15.610]He walks around his environment humming and singing songs
[00:28:19.361]though it's difficult to actually understand
[00:28:22.055]any words he is saying.
[00:28:23.910]Though I've known Paul for a while,
[00:28:26.243]his teacher mentioned this week that he likes to watch
[00:28:29.110]Meet The Press on the web.
[00:28:31.061]Hearing this set me into motion.
[00:28:33.393]I couldn't help myself.
[00:28:35.103]I Googled several different election websites,
[00:28:38.222]found a YouTube video about the election
[00:28:40.930]and selected a recent Meet The Press episode
[00:28:43.910]about the current candidates.
[00:28:46.086]Then, I sat down with Paul to work.
[00:28:48.514]Keep in mind, my materials weren't pretty, at all.
[00:28:53.541]I literally spent 10 minutes
[00:28:55.552]getting things together, that's it.
[00:28:57.886]I used torn pieces of paper for my vocabulary.
[00:29:01.078]A marker and dry-erase board to write our schedule
[00:29:04.756]and had a stack of paper next to me
[00:29:07.259]for any choices I might ask.
[00:29:10.296]When I sat down with Paul, the classroom was loud.
[00:29:14.101]People were transitioning from lunch,
[00:29:15.947]one student was singing in the background.
[00:29:18.281]I honestly, almost abandoned the lesson,
[00:29:20.789]thinking there is no way this guy is going to focus
[00:29:23.642]on these materials in this setting right now.
[00:29:27.327]But I didn't want to walk away so fast,
[00:29:30.584]so I started the lesson with a brief YouTube video.
[00:29:34.318]It took a few minutes but then Paul really focused.
[00:29:37.957]After the video, I introduced some election words.
[00:29:40.924]I wrote the words on a piece of paper
[00:29:43.156]and then had the matching definitions on another.
[00:29:46.597]So, I told Paul, I'm going to ask you what each
[00:29:50.150]of these words means so that I don't insult you
[00:29:53.454]by teaching yo8u something you already know.
[00:29:57.587]Guess what, when I presented him with a definition
[00:30:00.497]and three choices for which the word matched the definition,
[00:30:03.954]he already knew all of them.
[00:30:06.491]Here's the thing, I wouldn't have known
[00:30:09.545]that he knew them all if I didn't change
[00:30:11.704]the way I presented the materials.
[00:30:13.851]I read the definition, then wrote three choices
[00:30:16.809]on a piece of paper. I then held the paper
[00:30:19.422]above Paul's line of vision.
[00:30:21.354]Imagine someone rolling their eyes,
[00:30:23.461]at the top of the roll is where I held the paper.
[00:30:26.812]If I'd sat those materials on the table,
[00:30:29.059]Paul wouldn't have even had made a choice.
[00:30:33.783]After talking about election related vocabulary,
[00:30:37.293]we switched to the Meet The Press video.
[00:30:40.403]We watched the for a few minutes,
[00:30:42.624]stopping every so often for me to ask a question.
[00:30:45.445]We followed the same process using print materials
[00:30:49.159]that I read aloud to Paul from various websites.
[00:30:52.245]Guess what, Paul answered all
[00:30:54.518]of the factual questions correctly, 100%.
[00:30:59.107]He struggled with the questions that required an inference
[00:31:02.451]or weren't tied directly to what was stated.
[00:31:05.611]But this gave me something to target.
[00:31:07.848]You might find it humorous to hear that I asked Paul twice
[00:31:11.475]who he would vote for, if he was given the chance.
[00:31:14.541]He selected the same name twice,
[00:31:16.648]though I'll keep his personal political views quiet.
[00:31:23.756]Here's the thing, Paul is paying attention,
[00:31:27.880]listening to the materials and is actually comprehending.
[00:31:31.822]Instructional targets seriously needed to change for Paul.
[00:31:36.513]We aren't talking about basic identification anymore,
[00:31:39.927]he needs access to quality materials
[00:31:42.158]that represent sophisticated content
[00:31:44.848]presented in a way in which he can share
[00:31:47.614]what he actually understands.
[00:31:49.934]At the heart of this story is an important message,
[00:31:53.197]many, if not most, individuals with autism
[00:31:56.435]are similar to Paul.
[00:31:58.943]They can absolutely access materials and already comprehend.
[00:32:03.045]They just need us to find a way
[00:32:05.702]for them share and communicate.
[00:32:08.350]On this slide and the next,
[00:32:10.445]we're going to talk about some critical first steps
[00:32:12.599]in creating an environment that will support
[00:32:14.984]an individual like Paul
[00:32:16.687]in communicating their understanding.
[00:32:23.657]When we think about reading comprehension instruction,
[00:32:26.563]we want to start by considering the 27
[00:32:29.509]evidence-based practices for teaching students with autism
[00:32:33.331]that are detailed by
[00:32:34.942]The National Professional Development Center on ASD.
[00:32:38.878]The critical evidence-based approaches
[00:32:41.264]for structuring your reading and other literacy instruction
[00:32:44.851]include task analytic instruction, visual schedules,
[00:32:48.796]reinforcement, and systematic prompting.
[00:32:52.881]You can find detailed information
[00:32:54.884]about teach of these approaches on the website on the slide.
[00:32:59.568]You'll notice that these are not specific to reading.
[00:33:02.999]It is important to remember that evidence-based practices
[00:33:05.895]and evidence-based practice are not the same thing.
[00:33:09.686]Thus, when implementing any evidence-based practice,
[00:33:14.725]you must consider the evidence while also considering
[00:33:17.607]what you know about the individual and the environment.
[00:33:24.938]When evidence-based practice is used as a verb,
[00:33:28.025]it means that we identify and by that I mean,
[00:33:31.631]when we talk about our teaching in an evidence-based way.
[00:33:35.721]It means that we identify the practices
[00:33:38.840]with the most research support for an individual
[00:33:41.992]with similar demographics such as age
[00:33:44.310]to the one we're serving.
[00:33:46.180]We then implement the practice, collecting data
[00:33:49.340]on our fidelity of implementation which means,
[00:33:52.312]did we implement it the way we're supposed to
[00:33:54.480]on a consistent basis and then
[00:33:56.509]on the individual's progress or behavior.
[00:33:59.755]Are we making the necessary gains over time?
[00:34:03.030]If not, we ask questions such as,
[00:34:05.546]did we do it the right way?
[00:34:07.663]Did we target the right skill?
[00:34:09.753]Do we need to teach something else or something additional?
[00:34:13.165]Did we present it in a way the individual can actually use?
[00:34:17.620]Please notice, that almost all of these questions
[00:34:20.832]go back to our or the team's behavior
[00:34:23.818]rather than the individual's.
[00:34:26.231]Currently, there aren't any evidence-based practices
[00:34:30.114]for teaching reading.
[00:34:32.420]This means that you use the existing evidence-based
[00:34:35.489]practices to structure your instruction in the environment
[00:34:38.746]and you turn the head to the research-based practices
[00:34:42.333]in reading that are emerging.
[00:34:45.381]Some of these research-based practices include,
[00:34:47.931]cognitive strategy instruction, grouping approaches
[00:34:51.363]and using explicit instruction to teach targeted skill.
[00:34:55.104]There is emerging work that suggests
[00:34:57.656]one of the most valuable strategies falls under the category
[00:35:01.350]of cognitive strategy instruction.
[00:35:04.108]It is the use of graphic organizers.
[00:35:06.914]We believe graphic organizers are so important
[00:35:10.259]because they support students with autism
[00:35:12.862]in organizing information in their brains
[00:35:15.314]and then systematically teach the students
[00:35:18.761]the language they need to talk about the content.
[00:35:25.194]In addition to incorporating evidence-based practices
[00:35:28.318]and research-based practices,
[00:35:30.174]another critical point is building
[00:35:32.211]on student's special interest in activating
[00:35:34.240]relevant background knowledge.
[00:35:36.139]When we mentioned using an individual's special interest
[00:35:39.851]as the basis for instruction, we often hear a great deal
[00:35:43.638]of groans and see some eye-rolling.
[00:35:48.018]After all, most of us hear about these special interest
[00:35:52.148]from our students all day long.
[00:35:54.714]And even spend a good deal of time trying to get learners
[00:35:57.492]to stop talking about these topics.
[00:36:00.113]However, using an individual's special interest
[00:36:03.291]will actually help you teach reading.
[00:36:05.711]Students are most engaged
[00:36:07.409]when discussing their special interest.
[00:36:09.546]We promise, there is no evidence to suggest
[00:36:12.515]that incorporating an interest into your instruction
[00:36:15.754]will make the interest more intense.
[00:36:18.734]In fact, what you'll find is that these interests
[00:36:21.287]are the best tools for teaching new or challenging material.
[00:36:24.952]You'll see an increase in both the efficiency
[00:36:28.214]and the effectiveness of your instruction.
[00:36:30.776]So, to briefly summarize so far,
[00:36:33.433]we've talked about the need to incorporate
[00:36:36.916]evidence-based practices,
[00:36:38.849]research-based practices,
[00:36:40.898]and lean heavily on the special interest
[00:36:43.998]or motivating topics of the students you teach
[00:36:47.412]who have autism.
[00:36:50.656]Let's finish this conversation
[00:36:52.553]by briefly talking about the need
[00:36:54.356]for a comprehensive approach to instruction.
[00:36:57.168]Perhaps most importantly, it is essential that we approach
[00:37:00.747]our vocabulary, reading and writing
[00:37:03.308]from an integrated perspective.
[00:37:05.905]When we think about instruction,
[00:37:07.705]we can not view vocabulary as isolated
[00:37:10.283]from our reading and writing.
[00:37:12.701]Or reading isolated from writing
[00:37:15.334]and vocabulary or writing as isolated
[00:37:18.413]from vocabulary or reading.
[00:37:20.525]Think back to Paul's lesson,
[00:37:22.449]vocabulary was an integral piece.
[00:37:24.861]In fact, it was the foundation which circles us back
[00:37:28.308]to one of the first ideas on this slide.
[00:37:31.278]All learners must have quality instruction
[00:37:34.421]in the areas of vocabulary, reading and writing,
[00:37:37.895]every single day.
[00:37:41.105]Teaching students with autism to decode words
[00:37:43.948]is far easier than teaching them to understand the meaning
[00:37:47.178]but not nearly as important.
[00:37:49.282]So we must focus our instruction on the much more complex
[00:37:52.443]but important skills of teaching meaning.
[00:37:55.406]Additionally, it is really important to remember
[00:37:58.288]that reading and writing are opposite sides
[00:38:00.753]of the same coin.
[00:38:01.995]When we teach students to read,
[00:38:03.616]they also need to learn to write.
[00:38:06.114]As they develop in one they'll grow in another.
[00:38:08.711]Reading and writing have reciprocal relationship.
[00:38:11.898]We read about what we write
[00:38:13.761]and we write about what we read.
[00:38:15.934]And in the midst or context of both of those,
[00:38:18.767]we're using and learning new vocabulary.
[00:38:25.879]Now that we've discussed some big ideas
[00:38:28.626]to consider as you approach your instruction,
[00:38:31.171]we'd like to take a few minutes to talk
[00:38:33.113]about important components of daily instruction
[00:38:36.026]and your thinking about how you can manage these components.
[00:38:40.053]First, it is essential that we read every day.
[00:38:43.308]This means that students are engaged in reading materials
[00:38:46.583]they select and that the teacher selects each day.
[00:38:50.002]Additionally, it is important students read to themselves,
[00:38:53.242]read to others and listen to others read.
[00:38:56.551]This may require some creative thinking and planning.
[00:39:00.278]For a student who doesn't yet know how to read,
[00:39:03.762]or for whom we're unsure what they can actually read,
[00:39:07.681]we might first systematically teach them how to use books
[00:39:11.373]by incorporating evidence-based practices
[00:39:14.142]such as video models and systematic prompting.
[00:39:17.468]We can also incorporate online books
[00:39:19.924]such as those available from Storyline Online
[00:39:23.242]or Tumble Books to augment the read to self time
[00:39:26.048]during the day.
[00:39:27.946]There are also a variety of strategies for reading aloud
[00:39:31.229]to students across the gray bands.
[00:39:33.371]For individuals with autism,
[00:39:35.197]it is important to choose approaches that emphasize meaning
[00:39:39.080]and support the development of language and vocabulary
[00:39:42.369]which brings us back again to emphasizing the importance
[00:39:46.187]of studying words in context.
[00:39:48.541]Going back to Paul, I now know he understands
[00:39:51.929]basic election vocabulary.
[00:39:54.134]However, the Meet The Press segment
[00:39:56.577]was about transparency in the context of the election.
[00:39:59.859]Paul didn't understand the meaning of the word transparent
[00:40:03.261]and it wasn't explicitly taught in the news clip.
[00:40:06.434]So, this provides the perfect example of how we might teach
[00:40:10.048]complex vocabulary in a very contextualized format.
[00:40:15.151]Lastly, and yep, we're saying it again,
[00:40:18.345]writing is an essential aspect of supporting comprehension
[00:40:22.108]for learners with Autism.
[00:40:23.928]By having students read and write about the same topic,
[00:40:27.098]especially their special interest,
[00:40:29.127]we deepen their comprehension by increasing their engagement
[00:40:33.078]and their attention in learning.
[00:40:36.242]To summarize, we started our session by talking
[00:40:39.152]about the specific cognitive factors
[00:40:41.572]that influence comprehension.
[00:40:43.653]These include early joint engagement and attention
[00:40:47.498]which influences both social cognition, communication,
[00:40:51.539]and vocabulary, our executive function skills
[00:40:55.180]and our vocabulary and oral language knowledge.
[00:41:00.494]It's likely, that differences in each of these areas
[00:41:03.532]will influence comprehension for learners with ASD
[00:41:06.928]and support the development
[00:41:08.861]of the emerging reader profiles in autism.
[00:41:13.988]Understanding about where
[00:41:16.044]on the emerging reading profile continuum,
[00:41:19.495]or as I called it earlier, simply,
[00:41:22.315]the reading profile continuum,
[00:41:24.773]is a critical aspect of building reading comprehension
[00:41:28.891]for your learners.
[00:41:31.234]When you know where they fall,
[00:41:32.873]you can tailor your instruction
[00:41:35.030]to meet their individual needs.
[00:41:37.137]Finally, we ended by discussing some big ideas
[00:41:40.700]related to the importance of quality literacy instruction
[00:41:44.401]for all learners.
[00:41:45.628]Remember, an integrated approach in which students
[00:41:48.866]read, write and study words every single day
[00:41:52.818]is essential for all learners.
[00:41:55.704]Now, in the second webinar, you'll hear lots more
[00:41:59.020]about a framework for instruction to help you move forward
[00:42:02.618]with your individual learners.
[00:42:04.689]As you prepare for the next session,
[00:42:06.780]you might consider gathering some information
[00:42:09.001]about the needs of your students and about where
[00:42:11.836]or which profile they fit.
[00:42:15.218]This will prepare you or help you
[00:42:17.680]to get the most from the second webinar.
[00:42:21.564]We hope this session was valuable
[00:42:24.159]and we look forward to talking with you in webinar two.

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Reading Comprehension in ASD: The Intersection of Language, Social Competence, and Reading

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