need your input....... Dear parents thanks for your valuable post regarding ABC's, u all shared your experiences  with your kids but i would agree with the post of Tzoya. the reason is that all ASD kids are not same there is much difference in their learning style...some children respond very good with letters and number like liamsmummy said i think she uses letters and numbers as a reinforcers for liam to be responded very good. but there are numbers of children whose responses are not good with letters because of any reasons. the Tzoys said that there must be reading assessment if child is not responding well with letters. i agree because by doing this u might be able to choose better approach for your child. sadafslp It took a while but Shakir knows his letter, the sounds and is learning by phonics, the way the rest of his Kindergarten class is.  He is mainstreamed. Good luck.I disagree as well.  I think if you want a child to learn and understand language you have to start with the basics which include the ABC's.  If they can't talk they can still sign or write in order to identify whole words.  It would be like trying to teach an adult a foreign language without learning the letter concepts behind the words. My son seemed to have no progress learning to read, and I figured he'd be learning to read by identifying familiar words by sight.  But the alphabet/phonics method eventually fell into place, and gives him so much more flexibility -- he's not restricted to using already familiar words. I would say that it's important to aim for the stars!  In the short term, you want to give this child some quick communication tools, that the whole word system gives him.  But in the long term, you want to work towards real reading and typing skills.  Just show her these CNN videos of a nonverbal teenager and adult with autism (a member of our forum), who use the typewriter to speak. http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2007/11/21/gupta .finding.amanda.cnn?iref=videosearch  - "Finding Amanda" http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2007/11/21/gupta .amanda.inspires.others.cnn?iref=videosearch  - "Amanda Baggs Inspires Others" Besides, teaching the alphabet will presumably help the child identify whole words with more precision, for example easily seeing the difference between mat vs. met. So I wouldn't say it's a waste of time, but there could be more urgent things to use that time for.  Is there something the mother wants taught that there isn't time for? Good luck with everything.   I don't think learning the alphabet helps all kids learn to read.  It's the foundation for the phonics approach, but many kids need different approaches. However, I think it's IMPERATIVE to teach the alphabet for so many other reasons, not the least of which is social.  Singing the alphabet song and identifying letters is something small NT kids do all the time and it's great for ASD kids to participate in this.  For reading techniques, it's best to get a reading specialist to evaluate the child and recommend and specific research-based approach.I totally disagree, Liam is Hyperlexic and LOVES his alphabet and numbers.  So much so that we have to hide them at home and they are only used for dr's visits and when I need him to be really good.  He knew the alphabet upper and lower by the time he was 18 months.  I know that is one of the main reasons he is so verbal, could read before he was 3, and is in general a brilliant little boy.  I would never have done anything different.  Those were the things he liked at the time 15-18 months. Knowing his letters and numbers has helped him in school, all the kids are amazed by him.  It helps them be social with him.  He also loves to spell and can also make up his own words very creatively.  I would never consider not teaching the alphabet to Liam or any other child.  Branden doesn't know his ABC's nor can he sing the ABC's song. I really worry about that because most kids know that by know. I do think that teaching a child their ABC's is important. Not only does it help them how to read but it also helps them spell. a mother put this question infront of us that teaching alphabates or letters would be a waste of time if we are teaching the whole word identification to the nonverbal kids with autism??please put forward your input about the importance of teaching letters ....  have a good day sadaf   We taught Payne the alphabet in sign language...he didn't need to say them, now he can sign it or say it. It definitely helped with the frustration of not being able to say what he wanted. Teach A-Z, hungry, want, potty, yes/no, Don't understand, thirsty...that will help a lot. Sorry but I disagree:  Sarah could read before she could talk..she also understood much more than she could express.  At 2 she could spell sentences and recognized all letters and numbers... but no words yet...she now can read years ahead of peers.  She decoded very easy and we always paired the letters/ words to actually objects.  It became the number one way to teach her language and academics and still is:)
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