Developing Reading Comprehension Skills in High-Functioning Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Research, 1990-2012

The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to describe a structured literature review that was completed to determine how reading comprehension instruction has been studied with high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and (b) to provide insight into the reading strategies that teachers might use to support these children. It addresses the following research questions: What reading comprehension studies with high-functioning children with ASD were completed between 1990 and 2012? And which teaching methods or strategies were tested between 1990 and 2012 to improve the reading comprehension skills of high-functioning children with ASD? The U. S. Department of Education reports that much research has been conducted over the past 20 years that addresses ways to remediate reading difficulties, but little research has been completed with high-functioning children with ASD. There is a gap in the research. Studies that test reading strategies are especially important because the number of children with ASD is increasing: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just reported that 1 in 50 children were diagnosed with ASD in 2013.