Enhancing Comprehension of Informational Text by Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Informational text (IT) is a type of nonfiction designed to convey information about the natural or social world. Reading IT with young children increases knowledge of content area vocabulary and concepts and helps children build the background knowledge for success with future reading. However, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may struggle to understand IT. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to discuss how young children with ASD can be supported to comprehend IT. Instructional strategies discussed include (a) providing physical and temporal access to IT, (b) enhancing comprehension of IT within the context of Interactive Shared Book Reading (ISBR); and (c) promoting child engagement during ISBR. The theme of the life cycle of a frog is used to illustrate how the instructional strategies can be used in a kindergarten classroom.