Question
Do you have any suggestions for children's literature for working with children with autism?
Answer
Some children with autism may not follow a typical developmental sequence of literacy learning and it can be challenging to engage this population in acquiring literacy skills. In order to best support children with a wide range of special needs, parents, speech-language pathologists, and educators must view literacy learning in a broader sense, beyond traditional reading and writing activities. For example, exposure to printed materials in daily living skills (e.g., writing a shopping list, reading a street sign or cereal box, using a phone book, telling a joke, or using a communication board) incorporates literacy on a routine basis.
Build on the interests the child already has and create experiences that capitalize on the child's strengths. Children with autism often have interests that occupy their attention for long periods of time. Tapping into a child's specific interests (e.g., trains, maps, round objects) in any manner that captures their attention, can assist in promoting literacy development.
Include visuals such as physical objects, photographs, drawings, graphics, and charts as much as possible. These supports aid in understanding story content and help introduce concepts and ideas, particularly with children who do not have reliable speech.
Reading aloud can help children with autism better understand human relationships, facial expressions, emotions, and body language. Physically pointing to the words as they are read can aid children in comprehending print, "cracking the code" of literacy, and learning to read on their own.
For more information about early literacy, you may wish to view the following articles by Margot Kelman:
Birth to Three: Building a Foundation for Literacy (Part I)
/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=333
Birth to Three: Building a Foundation for Literacy (Part II)
/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=334
Margot E. Kelman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and early language and literacy consultant in Wichita, Kansas.