Tag Archives: interacting with text

When a reader with autism needs to respond to literature…

By Sara Finegan What happens when a reader with autism needs to respond to literature? My focus in reading comprehension instruction this fall is all about responses to literature, and by this I mean writing in depth about what we read.   An essential component to the basic reading response is the way we connect to [...]

Autism and hyperlexia, part 1: Anaphoric cuing?

By Sara Finegan Bobby approached my kidney-shaped conference table hesitantly, walking on tiptoe around the nearby rocking chair.  He was carrying a copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  I greeted him; he did not meet my eyes.  This was the first day of the second week of school, and we had fashioned name [...]

Don’t stop advocating for the child with autism!

By Sara Finegan A word to parents and teachers– Ok, two words:  (1) don’t  (2) stop. In the world of readers with autism, the worst conversation is the one that goes like this: Parent:  John is really having a tough time with the reading homework. Teacher:  Yes, he is far below grade level. Parent:  He doesn’t [...]

Fiction with a purpose (but one at a time)

By Sara Finegan You might have noticed that most (but not all) readers with autism prefer non-fiction to fiction.  With the exception of Bobby, all of my students on the spectrum have gravitated toward the fact-based section of our classroom library.  Many of them become mini-encyclopedias themselves as they develop particular areas of expertise due [...]

Say what? Asking questions as one reads

By Sara Finegan Sam, a sixth-grader, didn’t like to read anything except picture books. His independent reading level was at the fourth grade for non-fiction (he loved science and nature text) and at the low third grade in fiction. The more I conferred with him about his reading, the more it became clear that Sam’s [...]