EFFECTS OF SUPPORTED ELECTRONIC TEXT AND EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION ON SCIENCE COMPREHENSION BY STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Supported electronic text (eText), or text that has been altered to increase access and provide support to learners, may promote comprehension of science content for students with disabilities. According to CAST, Book BuilderTM uses supported eText to promote reading for meaning for all students. Although little research has been conducted in the area of supported eText for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), technology (e.g., computer assisted instruction) has been used for over 35 years to instruct students with ASD in academic areas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a supported eText and explicit instruction on the science vocabulary and comprehension of four middle school students with ASD. Researchers used a multiple probe across participants design to evaluate the Book BuilderTM program on measures of vocabulary, literal comprehension, and application questions. Results indicated a functional relation between the Book BuilderTM and explicit instruction (i.e., model-lead-test, examples and non-examples, and referral to the definition) and the number of correct responses on the probe. In addition, students were able to generalize concepts to untrained exemplars. Finally, teachers and students validate the program as practical and useful