Jakob Åsberg Johnels|Elisabeth Fernell|Liselotte Kjellmer|Christopher Gillberg|Fritjof Norrelgen
Language/cognitive predictors of literacy skills in 12-year-old children on the autism spectrum
University of Gothenburg|Sahlgrenska University Hospital|University of Gothenburg|Sahlgrenska University Hospital|University of Gothenburg|Stockholm University|Sahlgrenska University Hospital|University of Gothenburg|University of Gothenburg|Karolinska University Hospital|Karolinska Institutet
aim school age children autism spectrum disorder asd struggle literacy development yet individual differences major well understood moreover literacy attainment multifaceted literacy skills difficulties manifest one way aim study describe variability identify languagecognitive predictors different literacy skillsmethods assessed different literacy skills word reading accuracy reading fluency reading comprehension spelling along set languagecognitive predictor skills listening comprehension rapid automatized naming phonological awareness nonverbal cognitive ability 12yearold children asd without intellectual disability recruited longitudinal study swedenresults great heterogeneity floor ceiling levels literacy skills statistically increased prevalence poor reading comprehension reading fluency compared population norms regression analyses shown concurrent languagecognitive predictor skills eg phonological awareness differentially associated literacy subskills moreover longitudinal analysis showed preschool language problems associated poor word reading accuracy spelling middle schoolconclusions results confirm previous findings well provide new knowledge regarding profiles literacy difficulties children asd interestingly identified predictors literacy skills asd resembled identified important general reading dyslexia research might indicate similar kinds support training would beneficial