Teaching Emergent Literacy to Preschoolers with Autism

Emergent literacy skills including alphabetic knowledge, print knowledge, oral language, phonological awareness, and emergent writing are foundational for future reading development. Many children with ASD are at risk for future reading difficulties (e.g., Brown et al., 2013; McIntyre et al., 2018; Nation et al., 2006). To support the emergent literacy development of children with ASD, preschool teachers need to have adequate pedagogical content knowledge. This study investigated public preschool teachers' expertise related to teaching emergent literacy skills to children with ASD. Results from quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews revealed that the 10 participating teachers were generally knowledgeable about many aspects of emergent literacy content and teaching practices as well as characteristics of learners with ASD although there were certain subareas (e.g., phonemic awareness) in which they demonstrated a lack of knowledge. Interview and survey data generally corroborated each other. Despite this knowledge, teachers indicated a lack of capacity to effectively address the emergent literacy skills of children with ASD and expressed a desire for more training. Teachers reported differentiating delivery method, learning environment, and dosage of instruction for children with ASD to help them participate and learn more. Concrete supports, visual schedule and incorporating personal interests were perceived by teachers as useful strategies. However, teachers did not report to incorporate specific emergent literacy teaching strategies shown to be effective for learners with ASD. Teachers did not report emphasizing certain emergent literacy skills over others. But some teachers mentioned that they prioritized basic social skills for children with ASD over emergent literacy. These findings suggest the need for more training and research to guide emergent literacy instruction in preschool settings.