The Impact of Reading to Engage Children With Autism in Language and Learning (RECALL)

Abstract

A multiple baseline across participants design was used to investigate the impact of RECALL (Reading to Engage Children With Autism in Language and Learning) on the correct, unprompted responding and initiations of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). RECALL is an adapted shared reading intervention based on dialogic reading. RECALL embeds systematic instructional procedures and supports known to facilitate the learning of children with ASD (e.g., prompting hierarchy and visual supports). Interventionists read aloud with a child with autism and a peer 3 days a week for approximately 2.5 months. Following intervention, all four participating children decreased the frequency of incorrect responding and gradually improved their correct, spontaneous responding to fact- and inference-based questions about story content. In addition, three of the four participants increased the frequency of their initiations. Findings suggest that young children with ASD can participate in and benefit from shared reading interventions with supports. Implications for the implementation of shared reading interventions with young children with ASD are discussed.