A survey on professionals’ beliefs and practices related to emergent literacy skills in children with autism spectrum disorder

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic and professional information about participants (n = 195).

Demographic details	n	%
Gender
Male	24	12.31
Female	171	87.69
Profession
Speech-language pathologist	64	32.82
Special educator	64	32.82
Occupational therapist	36	18.46
Psychologist	22	11.28
Others	9	4.62
Highest academic qualification
Graduate	118	60.51
Undergraduate	48	24.61
Doctorate & MPhil	15	7.69
Diploma & Certified Therapist	14	7.17
Duration of clinical experience
0–5 years	86	44.10
6–10 years	57	29.2
≥ 11 years	52	26.66
Duration of emergent literacy practice
0–5 years	113	57.94
6–10 years	51	26.15
11–15 years	21	10.76
≥ 16 years	10	5.12
Type of work setting
Combined	43	22.05
Private clinics	54	27.69
Special school	32	16.41
Academic institutions	36	18.46
Hospitals	19	9.74
Government schools	8	4.1
Others	11	5.64
Type of literacy instruction given
Both	120	61.54
Individual	65	33.33
Group	10	5.13
Number of children in group literacy intervention
0–5	115	58.97
6–10	28	14.35
> 11	11	5.64
Age range of children with ASD
2–3 years	71	36.41
4–6 years	133	68.20
7–9 years	96	49.23
> 10 years	87	44.61
Language used in literacy instruction
Native language	35	17.94
English	48	24.61
Both	112	57.43
Number of participants who received emergent literacy training	74	37.94
Professional training on emergent literacy instruction
Undergraduate and Graduate coursework	78	40
In-service programmes	69	35.38
Conference/ Seminar/ Workshop	106	54.36
Assistance from teachers and professionals	114	58.46
Self-directed / Online learning/ Professional materials	131	67.18

Table 2. Beliefs about emergent literacy in children with ASD.

SL No	Survey statements	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
1	Children with ASD are not ready for emergent literacy intervention at preschool	57 (29.23%)	77 (39.49%)	26 (13.33%)	30 (15.38%)	5 (2.56%)
2	Children with ASD have good alphabet knowledge.	3 (1.53%)	20 (10.25%)	79 (40.51%)	74 (37.94)	19 (9.74%)
3	Children with ASD have good phonological awareness	9 (4.61%)	43 (22.05%)	92 (47.17%)	48 (24.61%)	3 (1.53%)
4	Children with ASD have good print concept.	5 (2.56%)	30 (15.38%)	80 (41.03%)	68 (34.87%)	12 (6.15%)
5	Children with ASD have poor comprehension and narration of stories.	1 (0.51%)	47 (24.10%)	20 (10.26%)	114 (58.46%)	13 (6.67%)
6	Children’s oral language skills are an indicator of later reading success.	0	47 (24.10%)	1 (0.51%)	121 (62.05%)	26 (13.33%)
7	Children with ASD who have good phonological awareness skill, alphabet recognition, and oral language skills learn to read more easily.	0	30 (15.38%)	33 (16.92%)	87 (44.61%)	45 (23.07%)
8	Literacy enriched play setting and print enriched environment contribute to children’s literacy development.	0	0	28 (14.36%)	99 (50.77%)	68 (34.87%)
9	Children with ASD should have good speech and language skills to start emergent literacy intervention.	0	28 (14.36%)	78 (40%)	75 (38.46%)	14 (7.18%)

Table 3. Emergent literacy practices in children with ASD.

SL No	Survey Questions	n	%
14	Beneficial emergent literacy intervention
	Phonological awareness instructions	21	10.76
	Shared book reading	13	6.66
	Literacy rich environment	23	11.79
	All of the above	153	78.46
15	Most to less difficult emergent literacy skills for children with ASD
	Phonemic awareness	71	36.41
	Alphabet knowledge	21	10.76
	Concept about print (CAP)	32	16.41
	Vocabulary knowledge	68	34.87
	Listening comprehension	126	64.61
	Narration	157	80.51
16	Days per week for literacy instruction
	One day	13	6.67
	2–4 days	90	46.15
	4–6 days	35	17.95
	All days	57	29.23

Table 4. Emergent literacy instructions in children with ASD.

SL No	Survey statements	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
Quality of shared reading
1	I frequently read storybooks to children with ASD.	7 (3.59%)	26 (13.33%)	26 (13.33%)	100 (51.28%)	36 (18.46%)
2	I name pictures while I read aloud.	2 (1.02%)	3 (1.54%)	11 (5.64%)	107 (54.87%)	72 (36.92%)
3	I ask ‘wh’ and open-ended questions while reading.	7 (3.59%)	17 (8.71%)	0	125 (64.10%)	46 (23.59%)
4	I ask children with ASD to relate their own experiences to the stories I read.	10 (5.12%)	53 (27.17%)	6 (3.08%)	95 (48.71%)	31 (15.89%)
5	I talk about the feelings the stories convey.	6 (3.07%)	10 (5.12%)	9 (4.62%)	123 (63.08%)	47 (24.10%)
6	I allow children with ASD to interrupt with comments and questions while reading aloud.	6 (3.07%)	9 (4.61%)	28 (14.36%)	104 (53.33%)	48 (24.61%)
7	I focus on alphabets, sounds, and words while implementing shared book reading.	4 (2.05%)	26 (13.33%)	31 (15.89%)	100 (51.28%)	34 (17.43%)
8	I encourage children with ASD to retell the story in their own words.	6 (3.07%)	9 (4.61%)	19 (9.74%)	104 (53.33%)	57 (29.23%)
Alphabet Knowledge
1	I help children with ASD become familiar with the alphabet.	4 (2.05%)	5 (2.56%)	18 (9.23%)	117 (60%)	51 (26.15%)
2	I teach children with ASD that letter has a name and a sound and match the sounds to letters e.g., ‘M’ is called ‘em’ but it says the sound, ‘mmmm’.	5 (2.56%)	23 (11.79%)	30 (15.38%)	94 (48.21%)	43 (22.05%)
3	I teach children with ASD to recognize letters in their own names.	3 (1.54%)	18 (9.23%)	18 (9.23%)	113 (57.94%)	43 (22.05%)
4	I encourage children with ASD to play with alphabet puzzles, magnetic letters, letter stamps, and sponges.	0	6 (3.1%)	13 (6.7%)	91 (46.7%)	85 (43.6%)
5	I read alphabet books to children with ASD.	4 (2.05%)	18 (9.23%)	24 (12.31%)	91 (46.67%)	58 (29.74%)
6	I teach the difference between upper- and lower- case letters.	8 (4.10%)	32 (16.41%)	44 (22.56%)	71 (36.41%)	40 (20.51%)
Phonological awareness
1	I read books with rhyming texts and point out rhyming patterns.	3 (1.53%)	17 (8.71%)	33 (16.92%)	102 (52.31%)	40 (20.51%)
2	I demonstrate the sounds letters make.	4 (2.05%)	8 (4.01%)	17 (8.71%)	107 (54.87%)	59 (30.26%)
3	I help children sound out words (i.e., /buh/ + /oy/ =  boy)	9 (4.61%)	19 (9.74%)	22 (11.28%)	96 (49.23%)	49 (25.13%)
4	I teach that words can be broken down into sound parts (syllables), e.g., ‘tomato’ has three sound parts, /to/, /ma/, and /to/?	6 (3.08%)	15 (7.69%)	19 (9.74%)	94 (48.21)	61 (31.28%)
5	I teach words with the same beginning sound/s (e.g., cat, car, cap)?	6 (3.08%)	11 (5.64%)	26 (13.33%)	91 (46.67%)	61 (31.28%)
6	I teach some words with the same ending sound/s (e.g., cat, rat, bat)?	6 (3.08%)	16 (8.21%)	22 (11.28%)	90 (46.15%)	61 (31.28%)
Concepts about book and print
1	I demonstrate how books work (i.e., front and back, hold the right way up, turn pages right to left, etc.).	8 (4.10%)	10 (5.13%)	22 (11.28%)	99 (50.77%)	56 (28.72%)
2	I demonstrate how print works (i.e., words are read left to right, up to down, etc.)	5 (2.56%)	14 (7.18%)	30 (15.38%)	97 (49.74%)	49 (25.12%)
3	I introduce books by talking about the title, author, and illustrator.	17 (8.72%)	36 (18.46%)	56 (28.72%)	59 (30.26%)	27 (13.85%)
4	I use my finger to follow words as I read aloud.	6 (3.08%)	5 (2.56%)	16 (8.21%)	108 (55.38%)	60 (30.77%)
Emerging reading and writing
1	I help children write their own names	4 (2.05%)	11 (5.64%)	29 (14.87%)	100 (51.28%)	51 (26.15%)
2	I help children read simple words	6 (3.08%)	2 (1.03%)	10 (5.13%)	118 (60.51%)	59 (30.26%)
3	I engage children in shared interactive writing opportunities.	5 (2.56%)	9 (4.62%)	22 (11.28%)	109 (55.89%)	50 (25.64%)
4	I listen while children read or pretend to read aloud	4 (2.05%)	4 (2.05%)	13 (6.67%)	102 (52.31%)	72 (36.92%)

Table 5. Themes and subthemes derived for open-ended questions.

SL No	Questions	Theme(s)	Subtheme(s)
1	What emergent literacy interventions are most effective for supporting emergent literacy learners with ASD?	Code-related / Code-focused / explicit emergent literacy intervention.	Exposure to print Alphabet identification Phonological awareness training
		Meaning-related / Meaning-focused / embedded emergent literacy intervention.	Oral language and communication intervention Shared reading Storytelling and narration Read aloud Reading comprehension intervention
		Embedded-explicit emergent literacy intervention
		Literacy-rich environment
		Emergent literacy teaching methods	Structured early intervention programmes Interactive learning and modelling Individualized education planning (IEP) Implementation of sensory strategies Use of Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for minimally verbal children
2	What are the factors influencing emergent literacy development?
a	List the challenges faced by professionals in the delivery of emergent literacy intervention	Clinical characteristics of children with ASD.	Prelinguistic skills Communication skills Challenging behaviours Sensory processing Social and cognitive challenges
		Poor early literacy environment
		Educational infrastructure, resources, and inclusion
		Lack of parental knowledge and unrealistic expectation
		Lack of training for professionals
		Practical issues related to intervention delivery
b	Support, information, and training to assist professionals	Professional development programmes	Workshop Webinars Seminars Certification courses
		Research and evidence-based practices
		Multidisciplinary approach
		Teaching resources and materials for children with ASD
		Parental awareness and support programmes