Comments on: The problem of the read-aloud http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/ Help for struggling readers on the autism spectrum Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:42:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Jae Keepers http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/comment-page-1/#comment-5783 Jae Keepers Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:13:56 +0000 http://readerswithautism.com/?p=96#comment-5783 My husband and i have been quite ecstatic that Michael could finish off his homework by way of the precious recommendations he grabbed using your web pages. It's not at all simplistic to just happen to be making a gift of secrets and techniques that some people might have been selling. Therefore we remember we've got you to be grateful to because of that. Those explanations you've made, the simple web site navigation, the relationships you aid to instill - it's got mostly spectacular, and it is leading our son in addition to the family know that the issue is pleasurable, which is certainly wonderfully pressing. Many thanks for the whole lot! My husband and i have been quite ecstatic that Michael could finish off his homework by way of the precious recommendations he grabbed using your web pages. It’s not at all simplistic to just happen to be making a gift of secrets and techniques that some people might have been selling. Therefore we remember we’ve got you to be grateful to because of that. Those explanations you’ve made, the simple web site navigation, the relationships you aid to instill – it’s got mostly spectacular, and it is leading our son in addition to the family know that the issue is pleasurable, which is certainly wonderfully pressing. Many thanks for the whole lot!

]]> By: william horstman http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/comment-page-1/#comment-1214 william horstman Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:52:50 +0000 http://readerswithautism.com/?p=96#comment-1214 I will try out some of these ideas on my 7 year old daughter Victoria who has high functioning autism and give more feedback when I can thank you for the tips. I will try out some of these ideas on my 7 year old daughter Victoria who has high functioning autism and give more feedback when I can thank you for the tips.

]]> By: Sara Finegan http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/comment-page-1/#comment-819 Sara Finegan Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:48:38 +0000 http://readerswithautism.com/?p=96#comment-819 Julie: We tend to look to body language to determine whether someone is paying attention, and this is where we can fail our students with autism. They are not going to use expression and eye contact as means of communicating interest or focus, and we cannot expect them to. The fact that a child with autism does not LOOK like he is listening does not mean that he is off in his own world. We need to check for engagement in other ways. When body language does not help us to determine whether a child is paying attention, it is a normal human instinct, I think, to start asking questions. Here, again, our tried and true queries may not have the result we expect. Autism is, by its very nature, a disorder involving communication. Difficulty retrieving language for use, or in interpreting it can impair a child's ability to respond to comprehension questions in ways that help us figure out what they know. Most of us realize this once we've spent time in a classroom with a student with autism. What we may not grasp so readily is the fact that in addition to all of the above, kids with autism may take longer to process auditory input. When you read me a story, I am attuned to the words and have expectations about what will be a part of it. I may be quietly listening, but my mind is absorbing the words quickly and interpreting the plot as it is woven. A child with autism or any other communication deficit may be processing far more slowly. Those words pile up in bunches and need time to slowly drift into order and form patterns in the child's thoughts. It may be 10 minutes, or an hour, or a day before he or she can digest the words in the story and pull parts back up to talk about. This is not retardation or any other issue related to i.q., but simply a difference in the way language is absorbed and organized. I agree with you that preteaching vocabulary and idoms can be helpful. I also think that pre-reading charting and clear, efficient and very focused talk (not a lot of verbage) can help a child with autism prepare for a story by planting expectations in his or her mind. For example: This is a fairy tale. What do we know about fairy tales? We will probably see magical creatures. Let's list some! There will probably be a villain, a bad guy or gal. etc. For example: This is a mystery. A mystery is a story where there's a crime or problem that needs to be solved. The story will have clues that help solve the problem. We will be listening for clues. Thanks for your contribution to this topic! Sara Julie:
We tend to look to body language to determine whether someone is paying attention, and this is where we can fail our students with autism. They are not going to use expression and eye contact as means of communicating interest or focus, and we cannot expect them to. The fact that a child with autism does not LOOK like he is listening does not mean that he is off in his own world. We need to check for engagement in other ways.

When body language does not help us to determine whether a child is paying attention, it is a normal human instinct, I think, to start asking questions. Here, again, our tried and true queries may not have the result we expect. Autism is, by its very nature, a disorder involving communication. Difficulty retrieving language for use, or in interpreting it can impair a child’s ability to respond to comprehension questions in ways that help us figure out what they know.

Most of us realize this once we’ve spent time in a classroom with a student with autism. What we may not grasp so readily is the fact that in addition to all of the above, kids with autism may take longer to process auditory input. When you read me a story, I am attuned to the words and have expectations about what will be a part of it. I may be quietly listening, but my mind is absorbing the words quickly and interpreting the plot as it is woven.

A child with autism or any other communication deficit may be processing far more slowly. Those words pile up in bunches and need time to slowly drift into order and form patterns in the child’s thoughts. It may be 10 minutes, or an hour, or a day before he or she can digest the words in the story and pull parts back up to talk about. This is not retardation or any other issue related to i.q., but simply a difference in the way language is absorbed and organized.

I agree with you that preteaching vocabulary and idoms can be helpful. I also think that pre-reading charting and clear, efficient and very focused talk (not a lot of verbage) can help a child with autism prepare for a story by planting expectations in his or her mind.

For example: This is a fairy tale. What do we know about fairy tales? We will probably see magical creatures. Let’s list some! There will probably be a villain, a bad guy or gal. etc.

For example: This is a mystery. A mystery is a story where there’s a crime or problem that needs to be solved. The story will have clues that help solve the problem. We will be listening for clues.

Thanks for your contribution to this topic!
Sara

]]> By: Julie http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/comment-page-1/#comment-818 Julie Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:51:35 +0000 http://readerswithautism.com/?p=96#comment-818 I have had some experiences working with children with Autism. I would caution teachers to assume that the child is not attending to the read-a-loud due to a lack of eye contact. At times my students have been attending to the story but not watching intently. Due to language delays and difficulty with generalization, my student's answers to comprehension questions may seem off the mark. However, when questioned further, the student's interpretation is colored by his or her vocabulary understanding. At times the student is able to remember minute details from the story and make comparisons at a later date. I would include in the tips, attention to vocabulary and particularly idioms in the same way you would for an ELL student. I have had some experiences working with children with Autism. I would caution teachers to assume that the child is not attending to the read-a-loud due to a lack of eye contact. At times my students have been attending to the story but not watching intently. Due to language delays and difficulty with generalization, my student’s answers to comprehension questions may seem off the mark. However, when questioned further, the student’s interpretation is colored by his or her vocabulary understanding. At times the student is able to remember minute details from the story and make comparisons at a later date.

I would include in the tips, attention to vocabulary and particularly idioms in the same way you would for an ELL student.

]]> By: Useful sites (weekly) « Rhondda’s Reflections – wandering around the Web http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/comment-page-1/#comment-781 Useful sites (weekly) « Rhondda’s Reflections – wandering around the Web Tue, 05 Oct 2010 07:58:45 +0000 http://readerswithautism.com/?p=96#comment-781 [...] The problem of the read-aloud – readerswithautism.com Read Alouds are a vital component of the literacy curriculum, yet many autistic children do not respond well to them. Advice on this issue is from the Readers with Autism blog.  [...] [...] The problem of the read-aloud – readerswithautism.com Read Alouds are a vital component of the literacy curriculum, yet many autistic children do not respond well to them. Advice on this issue is from the Readers with Autism blog.  [...]

]]> By: Children's Literacy News and Reading News | Scrub-a-Dub-Tub, a Reading Tub Blog http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/comment-page-1/#comment-774 Children's Literacy News and Reading News | Scrub-a-Dub-Tub, a Reading Tub Blog Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:12:50 +0000 http://readerswithautism.com/?p=96#comment-774 [...] I had just read The Problem of the Read Aloud last week. In this post at Readerswith Autism.com, Sara Finegan shares some anecdotal situations [...] [...] I had just read The Problem of the Read Aloud last week. In this post at Readerswith Autism.com, Sara Finegan shares some anecdotal situations [...]

]]> By: Mary Ann Tellock http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/comment-page-1/#comment-773 Mary Ann Tellock Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:23:22 +0000 http://readerswithautism.com/?p=96#comment-773 Many autistic children won't pick up on the abstract parts of a story. Sometimes a non-fiction book about the topic you want to teach will work better with them. Since many autistic children are also ADHD, sitting still is difficult (or impossible for some). They may still be hearing what is read aloud even if they appear to not be paying any attention. Being a librarian and mother to an autistic son, it was very difficult not being able to read a story to him. Progress was made when he would sit for a minute or two and we would look at and read the page(s) he was interested in...almost always non-fiction books. Now at age 17, he can browse through a non-fiction book and find parts he wants me to read to him. moral... don't give up on them :) Many autistic children won’t pick up on the abstract parts of a story. Sometimes a non-fiction book about the topic you want to teach will work better with them. Since many autistic children are also ADHD, sitting still is difficult (or impossible for some). They may still be hearing what is read aloud even if they appear to not be paying any attention.
Being a librarian and mother to an autistic son, it was very difficult not being able to read a story to him. Progress was made when he would sit for a minute or two and we would look at and read the page(s) he was interested in…almost always non-fiction books. Now at age 17, he can browse through a non-fiction book and find parts he wants me to read to him.
moral… don’t give up on them :)

]]> By: Sara Finegan http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/comment-page-1/#comment-763 Sara Finegan Sat, 02 Oct 2010 22:27:16 +0000 http://readerswithautism.com/?p=96#comment-763 Allie: You are absolutely right. We must avoid stereotypes. While there are some characteristics that are common to people on the autism spectrum, this does not mean that all have them or that any have them all. When we focus on the child rather than the disability, we can identify what deficits or reading behaviors to address and won't "try to fix what ain't broke." If, however, we assume that because a child has autism he can't approach literature like neurotypical readers then we're not really looking at that child, are we? Allie:
You are absolutely right. We must avoid stereotypes. While there are some characteristics that are common to people on the autism spectrum, this does not mean that all have them or that any have them all. When we focus on the child rather than the disability, we can identify what deficits or reading behaviors to address and won’t “try to fix what ain’t broke.” If, however, we assume that because a child has autism he can’t approach literature like neurotypical readers then we’re not really looking at that child, are we?

]]> By: Allie http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/comment-page-1/#comment-762 Allie Sat, 02 Oct 2010 21:08:07 +0000 http://readerswithautism.com/?p=96#comment-762 I was glad you stressed there are no cookie cutter children. I am a teacher and a mom - a mom of a child with Asperger's Syndrome. He is on the autism spectrum and loves nothing more than a read aloud. He will often mimic his teacher's voice in retelling the story. Don't ever assume when dealing with a child on the spectrum. Strive to meet them where they are. I was glad you stressed there are no cookie cutter children. I am a teacher and a mom – a mom of a child with Asperger’s Syndrome. He is on the autism spectrum and loves nothing more than a read aloud. He will often mimic his teacher’s voice in retelling the story. Don’t ever assume when dealing with a child on the spectrum. Strive to meet them where they are.

]]> By: Aviva (@grade1) http://readerswithautism.com/2009/08/the-problem-of-the-read-aloud/comment-page-1/#comment-418 Aviva (@grade1) Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:37:25 +0000 http://readerswithautism.com/?p=96#comment-418 This is a great blog post with some wonderful suggestions too! Last year, I had a student that was autistic in my class, and I often recorded my read alouds ahead of time on the webcam. I then played the recording on the SMART Board. The SMART Board was a great visual for her (and for the other students too), and I found that this way allowed all of my students to get the most out of my read alouds. Next year, I have another student in my class that's autistic, and I will use some of your suggestions too. Thanks for sharing them! Aviva This is a great blog post with some wonderful suggestions too! Last year, I had a student that was autistic in my class, and I often recorded my read alouds ahead of time on the webcam. I then played the recording on the SMART Board. The SMART Board was a great visual for her (and for the other students too), and I found that this way allowed all of my students to get the most out of my read alouds.

Next year, I have another student in my class that’s autistic, and I will use some of your suggestions too. Thanks for sharing them!

Aviva

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