Inside the reading class of a student diagnosed with autism: An investigation into reading instructional practices

As educational reform looks at students achieving national standards in reading, much of the educational research that has been conducted has been on students in general education settings. Most research conducted on special education students typically does not focus on students classified with autism, and what research is done on these students generally focuses on the acquisition of behavior control and oral language, with little on how to teach reading. This research explored what took place during reading classes of a student classified with autism. One teacher and one of her students classified with autism in a public school in northern New Jersey were observed during their reading classes. The researcher, a supervisor in the program where the research was conducted, used a single-study case study to document instructional strategies used by a teacher of a student classified with autism. The research revealed that only two instructional methodologies for students with autism were used in this classroom, and that the teacher did not have sufficient pedagogy in either autism or reading. The research also found that the student\u27s disability impacted the acquisition of reading skills, as did other factors both in and out of the classroom during reading instruction. The research points to a need for such pedagogy, in either teacher-preparation programs or professional development, in order to help students with autism develop reading skills