A comparison of fluency training and discrete trial instruction to teach letter sounds to children with ASD: Acquisition and learning outcomes

•We compare fluency training with discrete trial instruction to teach letter-sounds.•FT results suggest potential of FT in terms of instructional efficiency.•Phonics instruction is a compatible curricular area for rate-building teaching procedures.•Participant ASD characteristics could predict success in fluency based interventions.

The study investigated the efficacy of fluency training (FT) and discrete trial instruction (DTI) to teach phonic reading to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with particular emphasis on the acquisition of correct letter-sound correspondence and the learning outcomes of behavioural fluency instruction. An alternating-treatment design was employed to compare the treatment effects of FT versus DTI for the acquisition, retention, stability, endurance, and application of phonics in four children with ASD. The results showed that for two participants, FT was more efficient for the acquisition of correct letter-sound correspondence. For the remaining two participants, DTI resulted in more rapid acquisition. For all four participants, FT produced better results during post-test retention, endurance, stability, and application checks. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to reading instruction, as well as the use of rate-building procedures with individuals with ASD.