The Effects of Reading Recovery Techniques on a Fourth Grade Autistic Student's Reading Skills

Abstract

This study provided instruction to a fourth-grade autistic student using methods and procedures from Reading Recovery in an effort to determine if her reading level would increase. The participant for the study was a fourth grade Caucasian autistic female who is echolaic (repeats patterns of speech). The six subtests ofthe Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement by Clay were used to test the student. These six subtests are: (1) Letter Identification, (2) Ohio Word Test, (3) Concepts About Print, (4) Writing Vocabulary, and (5) Hearing and Recording Sounds in Words, and ( 6) Running Records on leveled passages. Results gave a profile of the participant's knowledge ofliteracy. A pre and post-test was given for all of the six subtests. A baseline reading level was established using Running records. The Writing Vocabulary subtest was recorded weekly to document increases in independent writing skills. The participant was given daily Reading Recovery lessons. The result of the pre and post-test scores were compared to determine gains the student made during the intervention. The student showed evidence of an increase in all six subtests of the Observation Survey. These results indicate that Reading Recovery was an effective teaching program for this autistic student.