Tag Archives: learning disabilities

Autism and hyperlexia, part 2: Helping Bobby read

By Sara Finegan When I met him, Bobby was a fourth grader with autism, struggling to make meaning of the words he so easily read aloud (decoded).  He had hyperlexia, a common condition with children on the autism spectrum, in which they seem to read well but comprehend little.  Research suggested to me that something [...]

Anaphoric cuing: We are Number 1!

Search the term anaphoric cuing today on Yahoo! and you’ll get 29,700 results.  And the winner is…www.readerswithautism.com! On Google, and on bing, we come in at number three.  Not bad, we think, for a blog that began in August 2009.  Granted, not many teachers and parents yet know the term anaphoric cuing.  But we hope [...]

Role of the classroom aide: To help the child toward independence

By Richard Finegan This blog is a collaborative effort between my wife Sara and me.  She does most of the writing.  I do all of the editing, formatting, illustrating (mostly clip art), layout, etc.  Since neither of us had ever blogged or had a website before, it has been a new and rewarding experience. I [...]

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 [...]

A word to college professors

Much to our surprise, this blog is already showing up on web quests, course links, and syllabi in teaching credential programs.    Who knew!!!!! If you are teaching a college or university course, and would like to arrange a question-and-answer session between your class and me or Richard, hit the “contact us” button.  You’ll be directed [...]