Examining Teachers Practice: Enhancing Reading Comprehension for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Providing instruction to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be challenging for teachers since students can have a range of unique learning needs, particularly in the area of reading comprehension. Given that reading comprehension is a complex process requiring the use of various knowledge and skills simultaneously, many students with ASD often struggle and score significantly lower on comprehension assessments compared to their typically developing peers, as well as other peers with disabilities. Unfortunately, there is little research on the instructional practice teachers utilize in the classroom to build the comprehension of students with ASD. Thus, the primary purpose of this multi-case study was to identify the instructional practices and activities that four special education teachers used to enhance the reading comprehension of their students with ASD. To do so, the researcher conducted observations and interviews. The findings demonstrate that special education teachers have both the knowledge and skills to support their students with ASD in comprehension development through the implementation of components of evidence-based instructional practices and supports. However, there is a continued need for these teachers to find ways to both assess and deepen their students’ higher-order thinking skills related to texts. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Keywords

• teacher practice,reading comprehension,autism spectrum disorder

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