A Rationale and Strategy for Adapting Dialogic Reading for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: RECALL

Abstract

As the number of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise, more children with ASD are accessing early childhood services. Early childhood educators need strategies that benefit a variety of learners served in these settings including those diagnosed with ASD. Shared reading is one routine that is typically used in early childhood settings. This article aims to provide a rationale for adapting an established shared reading intervention (dialogic reading) to enhance language/emergent literacy skills of children with ASD. The proposed shared reading intervention, Reading to Engage Children with Autism in Language and Learning (RECALL), combines dialogic reading and evidence-based strategies shown to support young learners with ASD to specifically target additional skills young children with ASD inherently have difficulty acquiring

Keywords:

• autism spectrum disorder
• autism
• Asperger syndrome
• shared reading
• dialogic reading
• early childhood