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Beyond Tier Three: Individualized Levels of Support During Headsprout® Early Reading Instruction for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

We previously conducted a series of conceptual replications to parse out which—and to what degree—adaptations and individualized supports were needed for children to access and learn early reading skills using Headsprout®. Here we developed a systematic decision-making process for providing levels of support to individuals with autism who require additional instruction in order to access and/or advance through Headsprout®. Using a series of single-case AB, ABC, and multiple-baseline designs we examined strategies from our previous research and additional strategies iteratively developed during the study on six students with autism, all of whom demonstrated progression through Headsprout® and increased reading skills. We provide practical implications for teachers and suggestions to research these supports with other computer-based programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

JLT conceptualized the study, supervised implementation, trained implementers, collected data, and wrote the manuscript. JBP conceptualized the study, supervised implementation, contributed to data analysis, and contributed to the writing. LES contributed to data analysis and contributed to the writing. MYSB supervised implementation, trained implementers, and collected data. PD implemented the study and contributed to the writing.

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Correspondence to Julie L. Thompson.

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Thompson, J.L., Plavnick, J.B., Skibbe, L.E. et al. Beyond Tier Three: Individualized Levels of Support During Headsprout® Early Reading Instruction for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 52, 2132–2148 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05072-y

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