Date of Award
6-14-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Special Education
Department
Education
Program
Special Education with Autism Spectrum Disorder Licensure
Capstone Instructor
Dr. Diane Harr
Second Reader
Dr. Kelly Sadlovsky
Keywords
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), literacy, reading comprehension, phonics instruction, writing, instructional strategies
Abstract
This paper reviewed current literature on instructional strategies for providing literacy instruction to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Literacy is made up of many strands, literacy was broken into three subsections for the purpose of this review: phonics instruction, reading comprehension, and writing. According to experts, reading comprehension and writing are two main areas in which students who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be challenged by. The studies in this review revealed that direct, systematic, and explicit instruction in the area of literacy is essential for student success in the targeted areas. Different teaching strategies involved the use of visuals, different apps on educational technology, and graphic organizers. All instructional strategies implemented direct, systematic instruction. Lessons were predictable and followed a logical order. In each study reviewed, all participants made significant gains towards mastery in phonics, reading comprehension, and writing.