Teaching reading to students with autism can be difficult because of their unique needs. It is difficult for teachers to find the right balance between general classroom instruction and specialized instruction. It’s also difficult to determine how to include autistic students in general classrooms.
Today I read an article from Reading Rockets discussing ways to include autistic students in reading lessons in general classroom instruction. The tips included:
- Use visuals during instruction
- Deliver instruction verbally and write them down on the board
- Integrate reading instruction throughout the day
- Offer a range of topics and genres for reading materials
It was interesting to read the tips from this article because they easily integrate with Reading Horizons reading program and emphasize why this program works for teaching autistic students how to read.
There are two key reasons Reading Horizons is effective as a reading intervention for Special Education students:
- Reading Horizons is based on the Orton Gillingham approach to teaching reading.
- Reading Horizons teaches all of the unique phonic sounds in the English language and provides methods for breaking down each word so students have the tools to decode every word they encounter.
The tips from the Reading Rockets article all centered around the Orton Gillingham approach to teaching reading. Reading Horizons incorporates this method by providing students with an interactive way of breaking down and sounding out words. By using a unique marking system, students are able to attach kinesthetic (touch) learning to reading. Also, the program involves students on an auditory level as well as engaging them visually. This ensures that all of their senses are engaged.
This process of teaching reading creates positive results because it allows students to connect with reading through several different pathways in their brain. Students that struggle with reading usually struggle because they are not being taught in a way that fits the wiring of their brain. By using multiple pathways by engaging multiple senses during instruction, the pathways are able to be rewired and make new connections so students can effectively learn to read.
Another way Reading Horizons program correlated with the tips from Reading Rockets article was through the advide to offer a range of topics and genres for reading materials. Reading Horizons recently added a Reading Library to its program to motivate students to read by providing them a broad range of passages to select from. This allows students to choose passages that appeal to their individual interests. The article explained that teachers often assume that autistic students prefer more technical, reality based passages, but there are also many autistic students that enjoy fiction. Thus it is important to provide them with a broad range of reading topics so they can read the materials they enjoy.
By incorporating the Orton Gillingham approach of teaching reading into the instruction of students with autism and other learning disabilities, struggling readers can effectively learn to read.
To learn more about Reading Horizons Discover Intensive Phonics reading program as instruction for teaching reading to students with Autism visit: http://www.ReadingHorizons.com/research/autism_dip.aspx