How Grades 4 to 8 Teachers Can Deliver Intensive Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension Interventions to Students With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

Oct 15, 2026

This article examines a multicomponent intervention designed to improve reading skill and performance for grades 4–8 students identified with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Reading intervention targets include vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, using explicit vocabulary instruction, repeated reading with sentence-level comprehension, question-answering relationships, and main idea summarization. The article provides explicit instructional routines and curricular materials supported by empirical evidence for the intervention elements.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Purpose and Reading Intervention Framework

Unique Reading Characteristics in High-Functioning ASD

Reader Profiles in HFASD

Heterogeneity and Predictors of Instructional Needs

How Grades 4 to 8 Teachers Can Deliver Intensive Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension Interventions to Students With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Danielle A. Cravalho, MA 1, Zaira Jimenez, MA 1, Aya Shhub, BA 1, and Michael Solis, PhD 1 Beyond Behavior 2020, Vol. 29(1) 31–41 © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2020 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[DOI: 10.1177/1074295620907110](DOI: 10.1177/1074295620907110)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/1074295620907110)[journals.sagepub.com/home/bbx](journals.sagepub.com/home/bbx) Abstract This article discusses use of a multicomponent intervention to develop the reading skill and performance of grades 4 to 8 students identified with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Reading intervention targets for this population are vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Reading intervention elements involve explicit vocabulary instruction, repeated reading with sentence-level comprehension, question-answering relationships, and main idea summarization. Included in the article are explicit instructional routines and curricular materials supported by empirical evidence for the intervention elements. Keywords autism spectrum disorder, reading comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, research-based interventions Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a wide range of developmental and academic needs which can make it challenging to identify effective interventions (Sussman, 2015) . However, many students with ASD perform below average on measures of reading comprehension (Keen et al., 2016) . Low comprehension performance is concerning for any student progressing through school, with the increasing importance of literacy skills as they age. In fact, once students enter the upper elementary grades, comprehension becomes essential for understanding text and complex vocabulary in content area courses (Knight & Sartini, 2015) . For students with ASD, though, there can be wide-ranging needs, with the variation of social-communicative language abilities and performance in different areas of reading making it particularly challenging for practitioners to determine appropriate reading interventions for this population (Randi et al., 2010) . To that end, the purpose of this article is threefold: (a) highlight the unique reading characteristics of students with ASD, specifically students in grades 4 to 8 with high-functioning ASD (HFASD), which describes a student who is able to speak in full sentences, engages in communication, and exhibits inflexible behavioral responses that interfere with functioning in one or more contexts; (b) present implications of the Simple View of Reading (SVR) model; and (c) discuss a research-based multicomponent reading intervention. The reading intervention components aim toremediate reading performance in the areas of vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension. Reader Profiles in HFASD As we describe reader profiles for this population of students, it is important that we keep two things in mind. One, practitioners must focus on the implementation of evidencebased, intensive Response to Intervention Tier 2 and/or 3 reading interventions that target reading comprehension skills in addressing the academic, behavioral, and socialemotional deficits/needs of grades 4 to 8 students with HFASD. Two, we must design and implement special education and related services programs that provide measurable benefit given the student’s capabilities (Yell & Bateman, 2017) . Such an approach accounts for the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Endrew F. v. 1 University of California, Riverside, USA Corresponding Author: Danielle A. Cravalho, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA. Email: [dcrav002@ucr.edu](dcrav002@ucr.edu) Douglas County School District case on prov

FAQs

What reading areas does the intervention target for high-functioning ASD students in grades 4–8?

The intervention targets vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension.

What instructional elements are included in the multicomponent reading intervention?

It includes explicit vocabulary instruction, repeated reading paired with sentence-level comprehension, question-answering relationships, and main idea summarization.

Why is it important to consider heterogeneity when identifying educational practices for students with ASD?

The article highlights that ASD needs vary widely, making it challenging to determine appropriate reading interventions; educators must recognize different reader profiles rather than relying on a single pattern.

Oct 15, 2026

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