2020 Special Education Research, Policy, & Practice

Enhancing the Comprehension of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Teachers Share Their Experiences Gina Braun, Ph.D. Rockford University Marie Tejero Hughes, Ph.D. University of Illinois at Chicago Abstract Providing literacy instruction to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be challenging due to the students' wide range of unique learning needs. While their needs vary, many students with ASD often have difficulty building a deep understanding of complex texts.

In this study, special education teachers were interviewed to determine their perspectives and experiences, providing literacy instruction to students with ASD. Multiple findings emerged from the conversations with the special education teachers, including the instructional practices used during comprehension instruction, specific instructional considerations for students with ASD, and challenges to providing comprehension instruction to this population. The information gained from these teachers can guide future endeavors in designing preparation programs to meet the needs of teachers providing literacy instruction to students with ASD. Enhancing the comprehension of students with autism spectrum disorder: Teachers share their experiences Over the last 20 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of students receiving services for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which in turn increases the demand for educators to identify teaching strategies that lead to successful literacy outcomes for these students (Brock, Huber, Carter, Juarez, & Warren, 2014). Today 1 in 59 children in the United States (US) are diagnosed with ASD, compared to 1 in 150 two decades ago (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). This rapid increase in children with ASD has undoubtedly transferred to the population of students receiving services for ASD in schools. Approximately 13% of students in US public schools receive services for their disabilities under IDEA, of these students, nearly 10% are identified with ASD (United Stated Department of Education, 2018). Therefore, there is a wide- range of diverse student needs, including social, emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges that educators need to be prepared to address.

Understanding Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism was initially defined by Leo Kanner, a US psychiatrist, in the 1940s. The profiles he developed emphasized that his participants tended to consist of more males than females.

Socially, they preferred to play alone as opposed to with peers or their parents, and many were nonverbal past infancy and into childhood. Likewise, they seem to be oblivious to the world around them. Behaviorally, the children engaged in repetitive behaviors and had frequent outbursts when their routines were disrupted (Kanner, 1943). Since Kanner's first description of autism, definitions of ASD have evolved helping to construct both medical and social models.

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