Teaching Autistic Children Reading Teaching autistic children reading can be challenging and time-consuming, but worth the effort and very rewarding. Autism is one of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders and impacts the way that the child reacts and looks at the world around him. It is essential that a person planning on teaching autistic children reading understand the characteristics and needs of an autistic child. Characteristics and Needs Autistic children have some unique characteristics. When teaching an autistic child, you might find:     * The child becomes easily frustrated because he has trouble understanding the world around him.     * Difficulty developing social skills.     * Disconnectivity with his environment and those around him.     * Needs a schedule and easily upset at any break in routine.     * Needs pressure lightly applied or desires to not be touched at all. Reading Comprehension Although many autistic children are able to read, some parents find that comprehension can be an area of concern. Special education teachers and parents of autistic children believe that autistic children learn best with hands on or very colorful activities. Books with pictures, audio books, and touch and feel books all work well. Learning Words The easiest way toward teaching autistic children reading is to demonstrate words that aren't concrete. For example, a noun is typically concrete and easy for the autistic child to picture. A word such as "boy" is easy to relate to a mental image. However, words such as "up" are harder for the autistic child to picture. When teaching such words, the teacher should show the word by acting it out. Saying the word "up" and lifting the arm goes a long way toward helping the autistic child understand. Teaching Methods Most of the standard methods for teaching reading simply won't work for an autistic child. One thing that may be of great help is testing the child to see which approaches might work best and to evaluate strengths and weaknesses. Software for Teaching Autistic Children Reading There are some good software to teach Autistic Children Reading     * Reading Comprehension Booster     * Autism Coach     * PALS Program     * Kidspiration Reinforce what the child is reading with repetition. Read books out loud, act them out, create visual aids and watch movies based on books. Don't be afraid to try new things and be patient. It may take a while when teaching autistic children reading to find the methods that work best for each individual child.
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