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Reading comprehension, word decoding and spelling in girls with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD): performance and predictors
Author(s) -
Åsberg Jakob,
Kopp Svenny,
BergKelly Kristina,
Gillberg Christopher
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
international journal of language and communication disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.101
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1460-6984
pISSN - 1368-2822
DOI - 10.3109/13682820902745438
Subject(s) - psychology , spelling , developmental psychology , reading comprehension , autism , literacy , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , autism spectrum disorder , reading (process) , dyslexia , intelligence quotient , learning disability , audiology , clinical psychology , cognition , psychiatry , medicine , linguistics , philosophy , pedagogy
Background : Difficulties with aspects of literacy are often seen in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). The bases of the connections between these disorders and literacy difficulties are poorly understood. Furthermore, it is not clear if existing research is representative for girls. Aims : There were three aims: (1) to compare performance in reading comprehension, word decoding, and spelling in girls with ASD ( n = 20), AD/ HD ( n = 36), and community girls with typical developing (girls; n = 54); (2) to assess rates of reading and writing disorders within groups; and (3) to examine the predictive value of measures of autistic and AD/HD symptomatology to reading comprehension in the whole girl sample. Methods & Procedures : Participants were aged between 8 and 17 years, and had a full scale IQ>70. Standardized tests of literacy, oral vocabulary, and non‐verbal ability were administered. Parent ratings of degree of autistic symptomatology and both parent and teacher ratings of AD/HD symptomatology were collected for all girls. Outcomes & Results : Girls with diagnosed ASD could not be separated significantly from typically developing girls or girls with AD/HD on average performance on any literacy test. However, among girls with ASD, 40% had at least one reading and writing disorder. Girls with AD/HD performed lower than typically developing girls in reading comprehension, word decoding, and spelling, and 56% had at least one reading and writing disorder. In regression analysis, using the total sample, both degrees of autistic and AD/HD symptomatology negatively contributed to the variance in reading comprehension after controlling for oral vocabulary, word decoding, and non‐verbal ability. Whereas AD/HD contributed to the variance in reading comprehension once autistic symptomatology was controlled for, the opposite was not true. However, a large bivariate correlation between autistic and AD/HD symptomatology somewhat complicates the interpretation of that result. Conclusions & Implications : The findings highlight the importance of monitoring and supporting the literacy development in girls with ASD or AD/HD. Results from regression analyses suggested that word decoding and/or oral vocabulary training may not be sufficient for the girls fully to overcome difficulties in the important skill of reading comprehension.