Linking Cognition and Literacy in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Literacy skills, especially silent reading comprehension, serve as the foundation for learning, independence, and quality of life for all individuals. It is well documented that students on the autism spectrum have difficulties with reading comprehension even though they demonstrate adequate decoding skills. Unfortunately, communication differences influenced by the cognitive style of these students' teachers may limit the scope of literacy instruction these students receive. This article provides a framework that considers the cognitive style and the relationship of that style to reading comprehension and provides suggestions for supporting reading comprehension for learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). (Contains 3 figures and 25 online resources.)