Teaching a Child with Autism to Read

Reading is an essential skill for children to learn. It creates countless opportunities for them to explore and to learn about the world around them. In this article, we’ll break down some tips for teaching a child with autism to read in a homeschool environment.

Autism and Learning to Read

Reading is a powerful tool that helps us better understand others and the world around us. However, some approaches to imparting this essential skill may present challenges for students with autism. Autistic children learning to read may require support with…

• Reading comprehension, including difficulty understanding figurative language like metaphors. 
• Phonemic awareness, the ability to identify and manipulate sounds in spoken words. 
• Understanding the text and context of a story or passage. 
• Short-term memory, which can make it difficult to remember information from one sentence to the next. 
• Sequencing and organizing information, which can make it harder to follow a story or to make sense of text. 
• Visual processing, which can make it difficult to recognize words and to comprehend their meaning. 

Autism and Reading in a Homeschool Environment

Whether your child is learning vowel sounds or improving reading comprehension, homeschooling can help. Homeschooling offers the benefit of a customizable curriculum that is suited to each child’s individual needs. Plus, learning at home can increase engagement and can minimize distractions that might occur in a conventional classroom environment. 

At the same time, homeschooling can allow a child’s strengths to shine while also building in supports where they need extra guidance. So, how do you teach a child with autism to read at home? Parents may find the following strategies helpful: 

1. Choose reading materials carefully: Autistic children will have a hard time paying attention to things that are not interesting to them. Carefully choose materials that engage their interests and passions.
2. Start with phonics: Start by teaching the child basic reading skills, such as letter recognition and phonics. Then, gradually move on to more complex concepts, such as reading comprehension. 
3. Use a structured approach: When teaching an autistic child to read, it is important to break tasks down into small, manageable steps. This will help the child stay focused and motivated. When teaching an autistic child to read, this might include following a reading routine of beginning with phonics-based word work, then reading a short passage, then spending five minutes practicing writing.
4. Use visual aids: Visual aids are incredibly useful when teaching a child with autism to read. Visual aids can include pictures, videos, or worksheets. These can help reinforce concepts and can make them easier to understand. For example, pictorial supports may help autistic students retain new vocabulary words.
5. Use repetition: Repetition is key when teaching an autistic child to read. It is important to repeat concepts and ideas multiple times until the child fully grasps them. For example, when learning the digraph “sh,” an autistic student may benefit from practicing it multiple times in different contexts, like in a reading passage, in individual words, and in a writing prompt.
6. Incorporate technology: Technology can be a great tool when teaching a child with autism to read. There are a variety of apps and websites that can help the child learn and practice reading skills. 
7. Provide positive reinforcement: Positive reinforcement is essential when teaching an autistic child to read. Provide praise when the child completes a task successfully. 

Reading is challenging for all students, so be sure to try different approaches, fine tune your strategies, and focus on making steady progress. With the right approach, students with autism can become strong readers!

How Miacademy Can Help Students with Autism Learn to Read

At Miacademy, we strive to create an engaging learning environment for all students. We offer high-quality, accredited curricula across many subjects in multiple formats. Here are some features we offer that are particularly useful for helping students with autism improve their reading:

1. Miacademy offers a customizable curriculum. This allows parents to choose the appropriate learning path for their child while they learn to read. 
2. Miacademy offers a variety of learning materials. In addition to engaging reading lessons, our curriculum also includes guided reading passages, extension activities, and reading games. Parents have the flexibility to choose the best activities to support their child.
3. Miacademy offers many tools to support learning. Some of these include built-in text to speech and in-site rewards for completing reading assignments.
4. Miacademy improves both reading AND social skills. We’re not just a school but a community! Our site includes a moderated social platform where students can interact with others in a safe environment.

If you’d like to learn more about teaching an autistic child to read using Miacademy, reach out to our amazing customer service team any time. We’d be happy to talk about how Miacademy can make your homeschooling experience a success! 

FAQ

What is the best reading program for kids with autism?

It’s important to remember that every autistic child is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach. However, Miacademy’s accredited reading curriculum has been hugely successful in helping many autistic children become confident and capable readers! We pair research-backed methods with engaging learning activities to create a reading program that isn’t just effective but is also fun!

How do you teach a non-speaking autistic child to read?

When teaching a non-speaking autistic child to read, it can be helpful to focus on a structured approach. Start by sharing books with your child to encourage a love of reading. When they’re ready to explore independently, they may enjoy interactive, multisensory books that allow them to engage with the story in a different way. Then, try incorporating a structured approach to learning to read, like a high-quality phonics curriculum. During this process, give your child alternative and augmented communication methods to show their understanding and engagement. And, most important, be sure to stay positive and provide lots of encouragement!