Reading Comprehension Strategies for High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including those in high school, often struggle with reading comprehension. Two evidence-based approaches that are focused on building the reading comprehension skills of secondary students with ASD are described in this paper. Both programs were used as part of a multi-component randomized controlled trial study by the Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism spectrum disorders (CSESA). Alternative Achievement Literacy (AAL) was developed for students who are learning to read, and Collaborative Strategic Reading–High School (CSR–HS) was designed for students who are reading but are challenged to find meaning from text. An outline of the steps for supporting reading comprehension before, during, and after reading, as well as suggested supports and resources are presented.