Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Ellen B. Scales

Abstract

Several researchers examined reading interventions used with students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but few looked at teachers’ perceptions of their abilities to select, implement, and assess reading interventions. The problem is that secondary teachers in a suburban Mid-Atlantic public high school acknowledge that they struggle with the knowledge of effective instructional approaches for students with ASD. This qualitative case study aimed to understand how nine secondary teachers who have worked with students with ASD for five or more years select, implement, and assess reading intervention strategies to increase the comprehension of students with ASD. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of cognitive development and Allington’s ideas for interventions for struggling readers were used as lenses to explore this qualitative case study. The case study included data from questionnaires, semistructured interviews, and lesson plan reviews with nine secondary teachers at the focus high school who work with students with ASD. Results of this analysis indicated that secondary teachers need additional professional development and effective communication to collaborate with teachers on the needs of students with ASD. Secondary teachers in this study found that recognizing students with ASD as individuals and addressing each student’s needs led to reading comprehension interventions that had a better chance of being effective. The needs of these teachers are addressed in the form of a 3-day professional development webinar. The study has implications for positive social change, both locally and nationally, by providing secondary teachers with additional professional knowledge about choosing effective reading interventions and assessments to meet students with ASD needs.

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