Advantage in Character Recognition Among Chinese Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Jing’s team tested 60 Chinese preschoolers. Half had autism. All had the same IQ range.

Kids tried to name Chinese characters. They also took quick-naming, phonology, and inhibition games.

The study asked: do autistic kids read characters better, and what skills link to that edge?

Autistic children named more characters than their IQ-matched peers. The edge was small but clear.

Only three skills predicted this edge: rapid naming, phonological awareness, and inhibitory control.

IQ, working memory, and parent income did not matter.

Laugeson et al. (2014) saw the opposite pattern in Down syndrome. Those kids lagged in working memory and planning. Same age, same IQ-match design, but a weakness, not a strength.

Tassé et al. (2013) showed kids with ID can self-teach print rules. Jing adds that autistic kids may start with a built-in print advantage, not just self-teaching.

Saunders et al. (2005) found messy pretend play in autism. Jing’s data say literacy can still shine. Different domains, different profiles—no clash, just nuance.

Screen early literacy in autistic preschoolers. Strong character or letter naming can be a strength to build on. Add rapid naming and phonology games to your ABA sessions. These skills feed reading and are easier to train than broad IQ.