Home Literacy Environment and Parental Perceived Literacy Development in Children with Autism: A Mediation Model

Abstract

The significant impact of the home literacy environment (HLE) on the literacy development and educational achievements of typically developing (TD) children has been well documented. The focus of the current research is to gain insights into the HLE of children with autism spectrum disorders owing to their literacy difficulties. We used online questionnaires to collect data on the HLE, literacy development, reading interest, and parent–child relationship from the parents of 120 school-aged Chinese children with autism. The results confirmed that the HLE of autistic children predicts their literacy development not only directly but also indirectly, through reading interest and the parent–child relationship. The mediating effect accounted for more than half of the total effect. The study highlights that children with autism could benefit from stimulating HLE as well as their TD counterparts.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the participants of this study and the following organizations for their support: Xi’an Qizhi School in Shaanxi province, Shunde District Qizhi School of Foshan in Guangdong province, Chancheng District Qizhi School of Foshan in Guangdong province, Wenzhou Special Education School in Zhejiang province, and Shahekou District Qizhi School of Dalian in Liaoning province.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in 4TU.ResearchData at https://doi.org/10.4121/19069511

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China under grant number [21&ZD293], Social Science Fund of Xi’an in China under grant number [22JY22] and the Special Education Research Fund of the Higher Education Society in China under grant number [21ZSTSJYZD03].