Evaluation of the nonverbal reading approach for two 12 to 13-year-old students with ASD

The ability of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to identify and comprehend text varies across age level and severity of disability. Phonics-based approaches that utilize technology-aided instruction have been used to assist younger students with ASD identify and comprehend text. However, limited research exists on the effectiveness of a phonics-based approach to improve the word identification abilities of older students with ASD. The Nonverbal Reading Approach (NRA) is a method that teaches students with communicative impairments, such as ASD, to identify words by sounding out individual phonemes using internal speech. A multiple probe design across participants combined with an adapted alternating treatment design was used to determine whether or not the NRA would be effective for two 12 to 13-year-old students with ASD. Results indicate that the teacher-led and technology-aided components of the NRA were effective for improving participants' word identification abilities.