Let’s talk and think about reading

Let's Teach Reading

•! Print or Pictures?
to People with ASD: •! Why comprehension is so difficult
No, I Mean REALLY •! Improve comprehension by using print
related to living
•! Making life more predictable and help
Presented by
people stay calm with print
Barbara T. Doyle, MS •! Print as the precursor to greater
independence
2008 •! Just consider these ideas, especially if
you do not like them!

Why Read? Something to think about:

•! The most versatile way to acquire Why use pictures and drawings?
information
•! Many programs start with pictures or
•! Is a great pastime and promotes social line drawings: WHY?
sharing... “Read any good books lately?”
•! What are the advantages to pictures or
•! Assists in self-regulation, and internal drawings over print?
thinking
•! The “too low” myth dispelled: if you can
•! Builds impulse control remember and respond to a line
•! Uses learning strengths of many people drawing, you could do the same with
with ASD: visual, spatial, rote, concrete printed words!

Something to think about:

Why use pictures and drawings? Which is easier?
•! Reasons that print WITH pictures
might not work for many learners
•! Try print when introducing new concepts
•! Don’t take away what is working well library

Barbara T. Doyle - October 11, 2008 1 of 7

 Which is more clear to everyone?
write
Is this conceptually clear?
Print:
•! Can be produced spontaneously and
does not require special equipment and
lamination
•! Requires rote memorization not
interpretation, association, inference
and generalization
•! Is easily done by parents and others
•! Is used with even small children
•! Is the most expandable system
Barbara T. Doyle - October 11, 2008
Could this be confusing?
Use Print to Teach
•! Reading is the “object of the game”
•! Organizing pictures can be daunting
•! Pictures do not carry over well into
adult work and living situations
•! Pictures can be stigmatizing over time
•! The “P” in PECS can mean PRINT! (read
the WHOLE manual!)
Print:
•! Can lead to a versatile and expandable
communication and learning system
•! Can be used for social skills teaching
and for social rules
•! Shows competence
•! A good “site” vocabulary improves
reading fluency and comprehension
2 of 7
 More WHY? questions
•! Why do we introduce
phonics before teaching
WHOLE WORDS that have
meaning?
•! Suggestion: build
meaningful, whole word
sight vocabulary in context
Use print to Teach Reading
•! Daily printed schedules
•! Individual calendars
•! Printed rules cards
•! Name tags for everyone
•! Labels for where things go
•! Individual task lists
•! Destination cards
•! “Where am I going?” lists
Barbara T. Doyle - October 11, 2008
More Why? Questions
•! Why do we first teach children to
write only upper case letters?
•! Suggestion: teach reading and
writing using only lower case letters
except as needed, from the
beginning!
•! Why do we require writing when
reading?
Teach with a daily printed schedule
•! Yes, I know he knows what is going to
happen next...unless something else
happens!
•! Made fresh daily like a good salad
•! Write what will be different about
this day and write in what actually
happens as the day unfolds
•! Note unexpected events and coping
schemes used
•! Plan to send it home to families,
roommates or housemates
3 of 7
 Teach with individual calendars
•! Advance notice helps develop coping
skills
•! Avoid flight or fight with accurate
“prediction” skills
•! Both highly liked and unliked activities
occur only when on the calendar
•! Keep calendars age appropriate and in
the latest cool styles and folders
Teach: READ AND DO
If you can read and do you can:
•! have a real job for real pay and
benefits
•! develop more successful
relationships
•! participate in more activities in
more places
•! be safer and more independent
Teach with Task Lists
•! Lists are used by everyone,
everywhere
•! Lists provide consistency across
instructors and novel supporters
•! Lists are rote and can be
memorized/internalized, reducing
the need for interpersonal support
•! Lists can be lifetime supports and
self-monitoring devices
•! Can combine pictures, words,
numbers, drawings, colors, labels,
etc.
Barbara T. Doyle - October 11, 2008
Teach with individual calendars
•! Give pleasant things to anticipate
(fights depression) and inform that
the unpleasant things are not
happening every day (decreases
anxiety)
•! Calendars support our lifelong need
for self-organization
By the way, teach
LISTEN AND DO, too
•! Put directions on audio tape
•! List steps to a task on tape or CD
•! Use computer voice output for
directions
•! Use important voices for self-
regulation
Teach with Task Lists
•! Write out and practice the steps
of the task
•! Share with all “teachers”
•! Convert to a self-monitoring
checklist later
•! Post the task list if it applies to
everyone
•! Add the reward or next liked
event to the list
4 of 7
 Sample Laundry Task List:
White Clothes
1.! Get clothes from hamper
2.! Sort whites into white basket
3.! Turn water switch to hot water
4.! Push in and turn dial to 14 minutes
5.! Drop white clothes in washer to the top of
the middle post (don’t push them in)
6.! Pour in one cup of blue laundry liquid
7.! Close lid.
8.! Pull out dial to start
By the way, when using timers
•! Introduce timers to signal the
beginning of a highly liked activity.
•! Introduce timers to signal the end of
a less-preferred activity
•! Consider two-step timer signals
•! As soon as possible, teach the
individual to use the timer
independently or following printed
instructions
•! Use age appropriate, visual and higher
tech timers
“Experience Books”
•! Do not have to be fancy or expensive
•! Collect souvenirs or take pictures
•! Write a story about the experience
•! Include information about relevant
emotions of self and others
•! Use vocabulary from current and all
previous grades of spelling, reading,
social studies, math, etc.
Barbara T. Doyle - October 11, 2008
Sample Homework Task List
1.! Write down all subjects in which
you have homework to do
2.! For the first subject, get book,
notebook, folder, pen and paper
3.! Read instructions and set timer to
work for 10 minutes
4.! Set timer for five minute break
5.! Take break
6.! Continue.......
For Reading Comprehension:
•! We comprehend best what relates to our
experiences
•! We need to visualize the meaning
•! Use Experience Books and My Books to
create a history of personal experiences
•! Can use to teach reading, and
understanding the feelings of self/others
•! Involve parents, family,
friends and staff in
making the books
“My Books”
•! One book or section for each important
person/place in the child or adult’s life
•! One picture per page with a story
•! Create a social history, helpful for social
sharing and grieving the loss of loved
ones
•! Helps make the child or adult’s life more
“real” to others
•! Some books: My Dad, My Mom, My
School, My Sister, Grandma’s Farm,
Great America, Aunt Barbara, etc.
5 of 7
 Use reading to teach the person
to do or say “something else”
•! Define what you want the person
NOT to do. Define what TO DO
instead (replacement behavior)
•! Choose the new, desired response
based on learning strengths
•! Make two charts that are visually
very different
NO
F---
S--- GREAT!!
B---- Darn it!
Blast!!
No way!
I hate that!
5 points for a
good choice
Reading Supports Social Skills
•! Create Compliment Cards. Make them
age and place appropriate
•! Initially, the child or adult actually
gives the cards to others (the
metaphor for “giving” compliments.)
•! If needed, cards are read for the
child or adult to the person being
complimented
•! Later, child or adult selects
compliments from memorized cards
Barbara T. Doyle - October 11, 2008
Use reading to teach the person
to do or say “something else”
•! Privately show the two charts: the “to
do” and the “not to do”
•! Use a metaphor for the “don’t do” or
“don’t say” chart: put away, tear up or
cut up
•! Put the reward right on the chart
•! Teach the person to make “good
choices” by selecting options from the
right chart
Use reading to teach the person
to do or say “something else”
•! Externalize your choice making
•! Monitor progress
•! Create a self-monitoring device
•! Get input from the person/peers
•! Inform others who need to know
We are changing our world!
Each time a (person) stands up for an
ideal, or acts to improve the lot of
others, or strikes out against
injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple
of hope, and crossing each other
from a million centers of energy and
daring, those ripples build a current
that can sweep down the mightiest
walls of oppression and resistance.
Robert F. Kennedy
6 of 7
 Thank you for all you do!
Barbara T. Doyle, M.S.
Phone 217-793-9347, 793-4018 FAX
barbaratdoyle@att.net
www.barbaradoyle.com
Emily Iland, Barbara’s sister and co-author,
parent of a son with ASD, advocate and
educational therapist (fluent in Spanish)
Phone 661-297-4205, 297-4033 FAX
eiinc@socal.rr.com

For book information: www.asdatoz.com

Barbara T. Doyle - October 11, 2008 7 of 7