The relationship between parent report of adaptive behavior and direct assessment of reading ability in children with autism spectrum disorder.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to shed light on the profile of reading ability in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A key aim was to examine the relationship between parent report of adaptive behavior and direct assessment of reading ability in these children.


METHODS
The authors investigated children's reading ability using the Wide Range Achievement Test—Fourth Edition (Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006) and the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability—Third Edition (Neale, 2007). Parent report data was collected using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales—Second Edition (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005). Participants were 21 children with ASD (6-11 years) and their primary caregivers.


RESULTS
Direct assessment of children's reading ability showed that some children with ASD have difficulty learning to read and exhibit particular weaknesses in comprehension. The results revealed positive relationships between Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales scores in the Adaptive Communication domain and direct assessment of children's reading ability across 3 measures of reading (word-level accuracy, passage-level accuracy, and passage-level comprehension).


CONCLUSIONS
Although literacy levels vary among children with ASD, some clearly struggle with reading. There is a significant relationship between parent self-report of adaptive behavior and direct assessment of children's reading ability.
Joanne
J
Arciuli
Kirsten
K
Stevens
David
D
Trembath
Ian Craig
IC
Simpson
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000523:psychology; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000523:psychology*; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D011932:Reading; D057566:Self Report