The home-literacy environment of young children with disabilities

The Home Literacy Environment of Preschool-Age Children with Autism or Down Syndrome

“…It is concerning, therefore, that the home literacy environments of children with disabilities have been reported to be qualitatively different from those of children who demonstrate typical development [4]. However, few studies have investigated subgroups of children with disabilities.…”

“…For example, research has found significant predictive correlations between parent teaching of print-related skills and alphabet knowledge during the early school years [15]. However, there is also a growing body of research demonstrating that these results do not automatically generalise to children who are at increased risk of future literacy difficulties, including children with identified language impairment [4, 8, 11] or developmental disabilities, such as autism [16] or Down syndrome [17], and that these skills and behaviours may be differently related. These results are not surprising, considering the fact that shared book reading activities place social interaction and communication demands on both the parent and the child.…”

“…It is well known that children with typical development who grow up in a relatively rich home literacy environment tend to be better prepared to commence formal reading instruction [3]. Less is known about the home literacy environments of preschoolers with disabilities [4, 5], who as a group often struggle in their literacy development. Although Justice et al [4] found that the home literacy environments of children with disabilities differed from those of children with typical development with respect to children’s interest, no subgroup analysis was conducted.…”

“…Less is known about the home literacy environments of preschoolers with disabilities [4, 5], who as a group often struggle in their literacy development. Although Justice et al [4] found that the home literacy environments of children with disabilities differed from those of children with typical development with respect to children’s interest, no subgroup analysis was conducted. Considering the significant differences in communication profiles in subgroups of children with disabilities, more research is needed to better understand the relationship between children’s social communication behaviour, interest in literacy-related activities, and home literacy practices.…”

“…Emergent literacy skills generally develop during the preschool years and may be nurtured in the home or preschool environment through interactions with parents, caregivers, and early childhood professionals [8, 9]. The home literacy environment has been conceptualised in different ways [4, 10-12], depending on the focus of the study. Within a social-constructivist framework [13], however, facilitation of early language and literacy skills within the home literacy environment is based on social interactions between the child and the parent or caregiver.…”