Autism Consumer Health Web Sites: Are Readability Levels Too High?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Are excessively high reading levels creating a barrier for parents seeking information about autism on the Internet? Although the average American reads at the eighth grade level, medical information is frequently written above the twelfth grade level. Readability of 14 autism consumer health Web sites was determined. The average reading score on the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index was grade 11.9 and 41.6 (Difficult/High School to College) on the Flesh Reading Scale. All of the Web sites had average reading levels above the eighth grade. Physician-sponsored organizations and government Web sites intended for consumer health audiences had the lowest reading levels.