Print Knowledge in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Do Child and Family Variables Play a Role?

Abstract

Purpose This study aimed to examine the print knowledge of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in comparison to children who have developmental language disorder (DLD) and typically developing (TD) children as well as examine the child and family predictors of print knowledge. Method A total of 629 preschool children, including 33 children with ASD, 93 children with DLD, and 503 TD children, were the focus of the current study. Teachers completed direct assessments with the children in the fall and spring of the academic year on print knowledge using the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screener. Results Analyses of covariance were used to compare the print knowledge skills (uppercase and lowercase letter identification, print and word awareness, name writing) in the fall and spring for each of the three groups. The groups were significantly different for the Print and Word Awareness and Name Writing subtests in both the fall and spring. A Tukey's honestly significant difference further indicated that, for these subtests, the children with ASD had significantly lower scores than both the children with DLD and TD children. When examining the child and family predictors of residualized gain in print knowledge for the children with ASD, the only significant predictor for any outcome was fall scores. When examining the predictors for the full sample, fall scores, age, ASD status, and mothers' education level were significant predictors of print and word awareness and name writing scores. Conclusions None of the child and family characteristics seemed to be related to residualized gain in print knowledge for children with ASD. However, when examining predictors of residualized gain in print knowledge for the full sample, ASD status was related to lower scores for both print and word awareness and name writing.

The examination of the variables affecting the print awareness skills of six-year-old children attending kindergarten

“…However, in contrast to our findings, some studies have reported a positive effect of maternal education level on their children's literacy readiness skills (Hofslundsengen, Gustafsson, & Eriksen-Hagtvet, 2019;Hooper et al, 2010). For instance, Dynia and Solari (2021) found that children with autism, whose mothers had higher education levels, exhibited better print awareness, word awareness, and name-writing skills. However, in the case of the Kilis city province examined in the present study, no significant correlation was found between both print awareness and writing readiness scores and maternal education.…”

Code-related literacy profiles of kindergarten students with autism

“…Emerging research comparing young children with ASD to their typically developing (TD) peers suggests that there are significant between-group differences in the development of early literacy skills, with children with ASD performing worse than their TD peers (e.g. Dynia et al, 2019;Dynia & Solari, 2021;Smith Gabig, 2010). Evidence also suggests that children with ASD, like TD children, demonstrate heterogenous profiles of development in their early literacy skills (Davidson & Weismer, 2014;Nation et al, 2006).The Simple View of Reading (SVR; Gough & Tunmer, 1986) is often utilized to conceptualize the development of reading.…”