child’s reading comprehension skills lie, as compared to their word decoding skills.
While the studies, upon which these results are based, are the largest sample size of a group of preschoolers on the autism spectrum with hyperlexia to date, it is still a relatively small sample statistically. As such, more studies are needed on this wonderful group of children on the autism spectrum with hyperlexia to better understand their learning needs. Further- more, based on these limited studies, Dianne Macdonald and co-authors, Communication Works, and McGill University cannot guarantee the efficacy or success of this intervention for your child/student/client. REFERENCES Bejnö, H., Johansson, S., Ramnerö, J., & Cepeda, R. (2018). Emergent language responses following match-to-sample training among children with autism spectrum disorder. Inter- national Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy.18 (1)1– 14. Bell, N. (1991). Visualizing and verbalizing: For language comprehension and thinking. Academy of Reading Publications. Bondy, A., & Frost, L. (1985). Picture Exchange Communication System (2nd ed.). Pyramid Educational Consultants. Carrow-Woolfolk, E. (2011). OWLS-II Oral and Written Language Scales – Second Edition: Foundations of Language Assessment. Western Psychological Services. Delinicolas, E. K., & Young, R. L. (2007). Joint attention, language, social relating, and stereotypical behaviours in chil- dren with autistic disorder. Autism, 11 (5), 425–436. https://doi. org/10.1177/1362361307079595 Frank, M. C., Braginsky, M., Yurovsky, D., & Marchman, V. A. (2017). Wordbank: An open repository for developmental vocabulary data. Journal of Child Language, 44 (3), 677–694. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000916000209 Grigorenko, E. L., Klin, A., Pauls, D. L., Senft, R., Hooper, C., & Volkmar, F. (2002). A descriptive study of hyperlexia in a clini- cally referred sample of children with developmental delays. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32 (1), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017995805511 Haq, S. S., Kodak, T., Kurtz-Nelson, E., Porritt, M., Rush, K., & Cariveau, T. (2015). Comparing the effects of massed and distributed practice on skill acquisition for children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48 (2), 454–459. https://doi. org/10.1002/jaba.213 Hoover, W. A., & Gough, P. B. (1990). The simple view of reading. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 2 , 127–160. Macdonald, D., Luk, G., & Quintin, E.M. (2021). Early word reading and preschoolers with ASD, both with and without hyperlexia, compared to typically developing preschoolers. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51 (5), 1598- 1612. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04628-8
THE LITERACY NEEDS OF CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM WITH HYPERLEXIA IN THE EARLY GRADES It is important to keep in mind that children on the autism spectrum with hyperlexia may not need the same early reading intervention as their peers. Findings from our earlier study (Macdonald, 2021) suggest that preschoolers on the autism spectrum do not learn to read like their peers by using phono- logical awareness strategies. As such, this type of instruction in the early years, when their peers are learning to decode words, may not serve the needs of children on the autism spectrum with hyperlexia. Children on the autism spectrum with hyperlexia already know how to decode words. Children on the autism spec- trum with hyperlexia may benefit more from targeted reading comprehension intervention rather than phonological aware- ness support like their typically developing peers. Therefore, focusing on language and reading comprehension should be prioritized. Our recent study (Macdonald, 2022) suggests that developing vocabulary, using the written word as support, and targeting reading comprehension at a basic vocabulary level, is an effective model to use to develop oral and written language comprehension. Beginning at the word level is the most basic level to start for reading comprehension intervention, just like learning single words is the most basic level to start for oral language development. LONG-TERM GOALS AND TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Reading comprehension is the ultimate goal of learning to read. While word decoding is a critical skill in the reading process, gaining meaning from the written word is the real purpose of reading. To this end, whether you use this app, or physical picture cards and words, the take-home message is that we don’t have to wait until the later primary grades to work on reading comprehension for preschoolers on the autism spec- trum with hyperlexia. These young children have an incredible strength in word reading that can be leveraged to assist with both language comprehension and reading comprehension. By practicing reading comprehension early, using their strength in word decoding, we hope to encourage a life-long love of reading, and support their special interest, while enriching their oral and written language and academic skills simultaneously. DISCLOSURE, LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMER ARC app was supported by grants from the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et Culture (FRQSC). Intellectual property for the ARC app is shared by McGill University and Dr. Dianne Macdonald.
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