Effects of adapted Letter-Sound correspondence instruction with older learners with complex communication needs and autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are often excluded from learning literacy skills that use phonological approaches due to challenges with verbal production of speech sounds. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of systematic literacy instruction with materials modified to teach letter-sound correspondences (LSC) to pre-adolescent and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with minimal or no speech who use AAC. A single subject design across three letter-sound sets was used, with three individuals with ASD. A total of 12 LSC were targeted in the intervention. During the intervention, the participants were instructed using model, guided, and independent practice trials using low-tech letter tiles followed by two extension activities: letter sorting and initial letter-sound picture books. A functional relationship was established between the LSC intervention and the percent of correct responses on the LSC assessment probes. Very large and large effects sizes were calculated for all participants across the three LSC sets. The study adds to the very limited research base related to phonics instruction for older learners (ages 9 to 18) with ASD, demonstrating that LSC progress can still be made at an older age with systematic instruction.

Keywords:

• Adolescents
• Autism spectrum disorder
• augmentative and alternative communication
• literacy
• phonics

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to offer their gratitude and thanks to the participants who contributed their time.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 GoTalk 32 Express is a product of Attainment Company, Verona, Wisconsin, USA. http://www.attainmentcompany.com

2 iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA.

3 Google Images is a search services with a registered trademark of Google Inc., Mountainview, CA.

4 Minecraft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA.

5 Picture Communication Symbols are licensed by Tobii Dynavox, Pittsburgh, PA.

Additional information

Funding

Portions of this article were submitted by the first author for their dissertation in partial fulfillment of Ph.D. requirements at The Pennsylvania State University Department of Communication Disorders. This project was supported, in part, by funding from the (a) Penn State AAC Leadership Project, a doctoral training grant funded by U.S. Department of Education grant #H325D110008; (b) Hintz Family Endowed Chair in Children’s Communicative Competence; and (c) New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation. The content does not necessarily represent the policy of these funding agencies; readers should not assume endorsement by these agencies.