Teaching generalized reading and spelling to children with autism

We examined the effects of constructed-response matching-to-sample (CRMTS) training on the generalization of reading and spelling skills in three Japanese children with autism using a series of overlapping-syllable word sets. We taught them to construct printed words to match printed words, spoken words, and pictures through the CRMTS procedure. Hence, two participants performed well in the generalized reading and spelling skills of untrained words. However, one participant did not meet the criterion for the generalization of reading and spelling skills. We taught her to break a word into each syllable as a differential observing response to the sample in the task. The modified CRMTS procedure enabled her to establish the generalized reading and spelling skills. This study discusses that the procedure and the modified CRMTS with differential observing response are effective for acquisition of generalized reading and spelling skills in children with autism.