Teachers??? perspectives of literacy interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder

Thesis (M.A., Education (Special Education))-- California State University, Sacramento, 2014.Developing appropriate literacy programs for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an important task for special educators. Due to deficits in the areas of social communication and behavior, students with ASD learn differently from their typically developing peers (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Limited research has been conducted regarding teachers' perspectives of literacy interventions for students with moderate to severe disabilities (Ruppar, Dymond, & Gaffney, 2011). However, no study has been conducted specifically to explore teachers' perspectives of literacy practices for students with high functioning autism. This descriptive study utilized a survey design to examine special education teachers' beliefs about literacy practices for students with high functioning autism. Participants were 12 special education teachers from elementary and middle schools in a large suburban school district within Sacramento County. Data were collected through a web-based survey program. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Participants indicated that they believed that all students benefited from literacy instruction. They also rated all literacy interventions highly in terms of the likelihood to use. The highest rated interventions were in the areas of decoding and reading text while the lowest rated interventions were in the areas of reading comprehension and writing. Teachers indicated factors that affected literacy skills taught including whether the skill was useful in a student???s current environment. Participants??? responses regarding barriers to literacy instruction in general education settings included lack of staff and lack of cooperation from other staff members. Findings suggest that teachers view literacy as important for students with high functioning autism, but they may need additional support in utilizing interventions in this population???s deficit areas of reading comprehension and writing. Findings regarding barriers to literacy instruction imply that there is a need for special education teachers to have staff and resources in order to teach literacy to students with ASD in inclusive settings. Implications for practice include further collaboration between administrators, teachers, and support staff to maintain effective literacy practices in inclusive settings for students with ASD. Further research in this area will support teachers in meeting the literacy needs of students with ASD, thereby improving their academics and overall quality of life.Education (Special Education