By Christina R. Thomas

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Reading Comprehension Strategies for students
with Asperger's Syndrome

• By Christina R. Thomas
• Slippery Rock University

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• As more and more children are diagnosed with
  various autism spectrum disorders, there is a
  growing need for educators to be aware of and
  understand autism and the challenges that
  students may encounter in their language and
  literacy development.

www.active.com autism3.jpg
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• Aspergers Syndrome (AS) is one of several
  pervasive developmental disorders that affects a
  childs ability to socialize and communicate
  effectively with others.
• http//www.mayoclinic.com/health/aspergers-syndrom
  e/DS00551

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What is Asperger Syndrome?

• According to the Diagnostic and Statistical
  Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the criteria
  for Asperger Syndrome is as follows
• Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as
  manifested by at least two of the following
• (1) marked impairment in the use of multiple
  nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze,
  facial expression, body postures, and gestures to
  regulate social interaction
• (2) failure to develop peer relationships
  appropriate to developmental level
• (3) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share
  enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other
  people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or
  pointing out objects of interest to other people)
• (4) lack of social or emotional reciprocity
• http//www.aspergers.com/aspcrit.htm

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What is AS? (continued)

• B. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns
  of behavior, interests, and activities, as
  manifested by at least one of the following
• (1) encompassing preoccupation with one or more
  stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest
  that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
• (2) apparently inflexible adherence to specific,
  nonfunctional routines or rituals
• (3) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms
  (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or
  complex whole-body movements)
• (4) persistent preoccupation with parts of
  objects
• http//www.aspergers.com/aspcrit.htm

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What is AS? (continued)

• C. The disturbance causes clinically significant
  impairment in social, occupational, or other
  important areas of functioning.
• D. There is no clinically significant general
  delay in language (e.g., single words used by age
  2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3
  years).
• E. There is no clinically significant delay in
  cognitive development or in the development of
  age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive
  behavior (other than in social interaction), and
  curiosity about the environment in childhood.
• F. Criteria are not met for another specific
  Pervasive Developmental Disorder or
  Schizophrenia.
• http//www.aspergers.com/aspcrit.htm

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Where does Asperger Syndrome fall within the
Autism Spectrum?

• Aspergers syndrome is thought to be at the
  milder end of the spectrum.
• http//www.mayoclinic.com/health/aspergers-syndrom
  e/DS00551

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Facts about AS

• Two out of every 10,000 children have the
  disorder.
• Boys are 3 to 4 times more likely than girls to
  have AS.
• Diagnosis may be difficult because the signs and
  symptoms of AS vary in severity.
• AS can be diagnosed as attention-deficit/hyperacti
  vity disorder (ADHD) or obsessive-compulsive
  disorder, because the symptoms of the conditions
  are similar.
• http//www.mayoclinic.com/health/aspergers-syndrom
  e/DS00551

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Reading Comprehension and Aspergers Syndrome

• Students with Aspergers usually have proficient
  verbal skills, They are usually successful in
  answering literal-level questions. However, due
  to their communication issues they may experience
  difficulties in the area of reading comprehension
  especially with tasks and questions that are
  abstract or require social reasoning (Falk-Ross,
  Iverson, Gilbert, 2004).

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Reading Comprehension and Aspergers Syndrome

• Students with Aspergers experience difficulties
  in the following areas
• Summarizing
• Relating information
• Comparing and contrasting
• Answering inferential questions
• Answering critical thinking questions
• (Falk-Ross, Iverson, Gilbert, 2004)

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Reading Comprehension Strategies

• Visual/Graphic Organizers
• Direct Instruction of reading strategies
• Prior Knowledge
• Think Aloud
• Drama
• Reciprocal Teaching
• Retelling

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Visual/Graphic Organizers

• Visual structures, such as graphic organizers,
  present abstract concepts in a concrete fashion.
• Graphic organizers can show a relationship
  between key concepts in an organized way.
• Graphic organizers allow students with AS to have
  time to process the information.
• Examples of graphic organizers semantic webs,
  timelines, and written visual supports.
• (Griffin, H.C., Griffin, L.W., Fitch, Albera,
  Gingras, 2006)
• www.ops.org/reading/literal_narrative.htm

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Direct Instruction of Reading Strategies

• According to Falk-Ross, Iverson, Gilbert
  (2004), students with AS rely on literal and
  rule-governed reasoning to draw conclusions and
  implications.
• The National Reading Panel reviewed reading
  strategies published between 1980 and 1998 and
  concluded that eight strategies improved reading
  in normal readers (Willingham, 2006/2007).
• Since students with AS rely heavily on literal
  and rule-governed reasoning they may benefit from
  direct instruction of reading strategies.

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Direct Instruction of Reading Strategies

• The eight strategies that have a scientific basis
  for improving reading comprehension are
• Comprehension monitoring
• Graphic organizers
• Question answering
• Question generation
• Summarization
• Cooperative learning
• Story structure
• Multiple strategy instruction
• National Reading Panel (2000) as cited in
  Willingham (2006/2007).

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Prior Knowledge

• Building students background knowledge can help
  improve their understanding of a text.
• Activities to build students background
  knowledge
• Show a movie related to the text
• Tell a story related to the text
• Brainstorm and write ideas on chart paper
• Ask questions about the topic
• Make connections between the topic and a
  students special interests
• Share other books related to the text
• http//www.paulakluth.com/articles/comprehension.h
  tml

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Think Aloud

• A think aloud involves the teacher reading a
  text to the class and modeling his or her own
  comprehension strategies such as asking
  questions, making inferences, determining
  importance, and making connections to personal
  background knowledge.
• Since students with AS are highly visual, they
  may benefit from a teacher writing their thoughts
  on chart paper so students can see and hear the
  process.
• http//www.paulakluth.com/articles/comprehension.h
  tml

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Drama

• Since students with AS may have difficulty
  showing and understanding emotions and social
  cues, they may also have difficulty identifying
  and articulating emotions in certain texts.
  Watching peers act out a scene from literature
  can help learners better understand the text.
• http//www.paulakluth.com/articles/comprehension.h
  tml

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Reciprocal Teaching

• Reciprocal teaching is an instructional activity
  that takes place in the form of a dialogue
  between teachers and students about the text. The
  teacher and student take turns assuming the role
  of the teacher in leading the dialogue.
• The dialogue is structured by the use of four
  strategies
• Summarizing
• Question generating
• Clarifying
• Predicting
• http//www.paulakluth.com/articles/comprehension.h
  tml

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Retelling

• Retelling involves the student telling everything
  that he or she can remember about the text.
• It reinforces story structure, language, and
  imagery used in the text.
• It provides more information about a readers
  understanding than comprehension questions or
  traditional assessments.
• Students learn to attend to the story elements
• Students gain strategies for organizing their own
  thinking.
• http//www.paulakluth.com/articles/comprehension.h
  tml

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Additional Strategies

• When asking comprehension questions, teachers
  may want to try the following strategies
• Give students plenty of time to answer (a minute
  or more).
• Pose the question orally and in written form.
• Permit the student to write their answer or give
  them the opportunity to circle the answer rather
  than requiring oral responses.
• Make the interaction more informal and less
  direct.
• http//www.paulakluth.com/articles/comprehension.h
  tml

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References

• Falk-Ross, Iverson, Gilbert. (2004). Teaching
  and Learning Approaches for Children With
  Aspergers Syndrome Literacy Implications and
  Applications. Council For Exceptional Children,
  48-55.
• Griffin, H.C., Griffin, L.W., Fitch, Albera,
  Gingras. (2006). Educational Interventions for
  Individuals with Asperger Syndrome. Intervention
  in School and Clinic, (41)3, 150-155.
• Willingham, Daniel. (2006/2007). How We Learn Ask
  The Cognitive Scientist The Usefulness of Brief
  Instruction in Reading Comprehension Strategies.
  American Federation of Teachers, 39-50.
• http//www.aspergers.com/aspcrit.htm
• http//www.mayoclinic.com/health/aspergers-syndrom
  e/DS00551
• http//www.paulakluth.com/articles/comprehension.h
  tml