Autism 1 –11 © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions:

aut.sagepub.com Between 2002 and 2008, the prevalence of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increased by 78% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). With a growing number of children with an ASD attending schools and being subject to the same academic standards as their peers without disabilities, it is increasingly impor-tant to understand their diverse academic learning needs in order to provide them effective instruction. Children with an ASD often experience difficulties in the classroom, both academically and socially. Yet most of the current research on children with an ASD focuses on social and communication skills, with less attention paid to academic achievement. Of those studies that examine the academic achievement of children with an ASD, many d