Wondering how to teach an autistic child to read? This is a topic I get asked about again and again. I have worked on teaching reading to children with autism at my learning center and I’ve also coached families to build reading skills at home with their little ones too. Autistic students tend to learn to read differently than their neurotypical peers, making it essential to adapt your teaching strategies when creating a plan to teach an autistic child to read.
How to teach an autistic child to read (12 Strategies)
1. Follow interests to teach reading
Make a list of your child or student’s favorite themes, activities and toys. These could be as varied as trains, stamps, cupcakes and birds. Individuals with autism tend to have very specific, focused interests. By incorporating their specific fascinations into any learning activity you are doing, you can make learning more interesting and fun.
Similarly, adding a sensory component to learning can motivate your learner. It could be something as simple as using sensory boxes or a light table combined with reading activities to teach reading skills.
2. Use sight words
Autistic individuals tend to be visual learners. When you add a visual component to activities, learning will be easier. This is something I have observed over and over again at my learning center and in my work with children on the autism spectrum.
Rather than working on reading skills by using phonetics, work on teaching your child or student to recognize full words that will come up again and again in books.
Words to memorize will include useful words that are using regularly such as “the”, “and”, “to”, etc. as well as words that are necessary to read texts based on the themes you chose above.
These words could include “car”, “train”, “plane”, “cupcake”, “girl”, “boy”, etc depending on the stories you will be reading together.
3. Use real photos to build reading skills
Although so many activities for individuals on the autism spectrum use pictograms and other abstract learning images, I always create my autism learning materials with real photos.
Autistic people tend to have a hard time distinguishing abstract images, so using real photos make learning easier and a lot more fun.
These autism worksheets can help you teach reading skills as well.
Related : What NOT to Do with an Autistic Child (& What to Do Instead!)
4. Teach prerequisite reading skills
Before teaching reading to children with autism, you need to make sure that certain prerequisite reading skills are already firmly in place. For an autistic individual, these include enough attention and focus to learn new skills, basic knowledge of vocabulary and working memory and attention.
5. Make learning interactive
In order to keep your little learner focused on, and engaged in, the activity at hand, you will want to make sure to make learning interactive. Ask your child or student to turn the pages. Act out the scene you are reading.
For example, if you are reading about a child sitting on a train, act out the scene. Make train noises, “choo choo”! Have your little learner interact with the learning content in as many ways as you can think of to make learning more fun and more concrete.
6. Put labels on on every day items
Since we will be teaching autistic individuals to read using matching and memorization of full words (rather than phonetic teaching), it is important that he or she see those written words throughout the environment on a regular basis.
Start by creating labels for different items your little one comes in contact with every day and stick them on shelves, bin or directly on items in the environment.
Some ideas? Stick labels on the Lego bin, the doll bin, the dollhouse, the dining room table, your child or student’s favorite chair, favorite foods in the pantry or fridge.
Be creative and label all items that are important to your child or student.
7. Use repetition to teach reading
All children learn through repetition, however, repetition is especially essential for learners on the autism spectrum.
When working on reading skills, read the same text or short story again and again. Focus on the same interests over and over. Match and identify the same short words several times throughout the day and every day.
It will take a lot of repetition for your little one to learn to read. Take your time and remember that practice makes perfect.
8. Avoid phonics instruction
As mentioned earlier, although phonics systems are typically considered to be the way to teach reading skills, they are often not the best way to work on reading with a child with autism.
Instead, focus on your child or student’s strengths by using a visual system to teach reading skills.
9. Remove distractions
We can all lost focus if there are too many distractions in our environments when we are trying to learn something new. This is especially important to consider when teaching a child with autism.
When thinking about where you will be teaching your little learner to read, make sure you avoid sensory overload by teaching in a space that has calming colors, soft lighting, minimal sound distractions and just one or two learning materials that are being worked on at a time.
10. Use short, concise text when learning to read
Part of removing distractions and teaching your child or student with autism to read is to work on short bits of text at a time. Ideally, start with just one word at a time and build up to short text.
Make sure you avoid working on reading within the context of long stories or large blocks of text. These will just be frustrating for a learner on the autism spectrum and make it even harder to learn to read.
11. Use technology
For many individuals with autism, technology can make learning easier, more interesting and more fun. I love using YouTube videos to teach new skills. In my programs, I use Blippi YouTube videos, Peppa Pig videos, YouTube videos that teach colors and yoga videos for kids in my programs.
12. Reward progress
It is always essential to make a plan for how you will reward progress. Some ideas? Have a dance party, watch your little one’s favorite YouTube video, have a snack or play a favorite game.
More Autism Resources
- The Successful Interaction with a Child with Autism Course – learn to better understand your autistic child or students with this complete course.
- Autism Activities Workbook Bundle – build communication skills, fine motor skills, sensory play skills and daily living skills, while helping your child or students to successfully manage any difficult behaviors, with these fun, educational, printable activities.
- Sensory Communication Workbook – Build communication skills with simple sensory activities.
- How to Make a Communication Binder Guide & Workbook – Learn how to create a Communication Binder for your child or student with autism using real photos. Follow my expert guide to learn how to use it to increase communication skills.
- Autism Adapted Books Bundle – a collection of 10 adapted books that will help you build communication skills while teaching more than 120 vocabulary words.
- Zoo Animals Play Dough Mats Bundle – use these printable play dough mat to work on the names of the animals, build language skills, and increase fine motor strength and precision in a fun, sensory way!
How to teach an autistic child to read
Use these simple strategies to teach children with autism to read.
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