Improved Reading Seen in Children with Autism

Positive news for parents of children on the autism spectrum. In a newly released study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham authored by Rajesh Kana, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, it was found that 10 weeks of intensive reading to children with autism significantly improved their reading and brain function and capabilities. The intense reading was shown to make the areas of the brain where connections were loose to become stronger. By strengthening these areas, reading comprehension improved greatly for the children.

 

Families who participated in this study agreed to have their children, who are on the autism spectrum, receive intensive reading intervention. The average age of the participants was 10.9 years old. For 5 days a week, they were read to for 4 hours each day. The type of reading intervention utilized in this study is called Lindamood-Bell. It teaches children to create concept images as they read or are read to. This improves comprehension due to the visualization involved.
The kids from the study showed an increase in activity and function in the parts of the brain responsible for language. After the intervention, the brain areas showed more motor coding abilities and semantic processing.

 

The study proved that the brain is still elastic and can make repairs and improvements even as the child gets older. This evidence is important for children who are not diagnosed with autism until they are as old as 10 years of age.

 

For more information like this, please visit All My Children Daycare.

 

By: Melissa A. Kay