Reading Goals and Executive Function in Autism: An Eye-Tracking Study.
Students with autism may need explicit instruction on how to shift reading strategies when the purpose changes (study vs. entertainment).
01Research in Context
What this study did
Micai et al. (2021) watched how the students with autism read on a screen. They gave two goals: read to study for a test, or read for fun.
Eye-tracking cameras measured where eyes moved. After reading, kids answered questions and rated how sure they were about answers.
What they found
Students with autism understood less than matched peers. Their eye patterns stayed the same no matter the goal.
They also over-rated how well they did. Typical readers changed scanning and scored higher when told to study.
How this fits with other research
May (2011) showed massed sight-word drills work for minimally verbal kids. Martina’s older, verbal readers still failed to shift strategies, so drills alone may miss flexible-use skills.
Matson et al. (2013) found autistic teens could reach normal emotion-reading accuracy despite odd eye fixations. Martina saw no such compensation: comprehension stayed low. Task type may explain the difference—emotion tasks allow extra time, reading goals do not.
Adkins et al. (1997) boosted test scores by adding motivation cues. Martina kept conditions quiet and neutral. Together the papers hint that attention supports, not goal hints, may unlock better reading in autism.
Why it matters
If a learner can’t switch reading style for a test, teach it like any other skill. Model previewing headings, underlining key words, and checking answers. Pair these steps with praise or tokens. Check understanding with quick questions and ask the student to rate their own answer only after they get feedback. Over time, fade the supports so the child owns the strategy across classes.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The sources of reading comprehension difficulties in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are still open to discussion. We explored their ability to adapt reading strategies to different reading goals using eye-tracking technology. A group of participants with ASD, and intelligence-, receptive oral language- and reading skills-matched control peers, read three stories under three different reading goals conditions: read for entertainment; read for study; and read fast and search information for a previously presented question. Each text required participants to answer comprehension questions. The ASD group was less accurate in question answering. The control group was faster in reading questions, displayed more fixations on the text, and reported to be more confident in question answering during reading for study compared to reading for entertainment. These differences between reading goals were not observed in the ASD group. The control group adopted and was aware of using different reading strategies according to different reading goals. In contrast, the ASD group did not change their reading behavior and strategies between entertainment and study reading goal condition, showing less of a tendency to adopt deep-level processing strategies when necessary. Planning, as measured by Tower of Hanoi, was the only executive task that predicted individual differences in text reading time across conditions. Participants with better planning ability were also able to adapt their reading behavior to different reading instructions. Difficulties in adjusting the reading behavior according to the task, evaluating own performance and planning may be partly involved in reading comprehension problems in ASD. LAY ABSTRACT: The control group read questions faster, reported to be more confident in question answering during reading for study compared to reading for entertainment, and were aware of using different reading strategies according to different reading goals. In contrast, the autistic group did not change their reading behavior and strategies according to the reading goal. Difficulties in adjusting the reading behavior according to the task, in evaluating own performance and in planning may be partly involved in reading comprehension problems in autism. Autism Res 2021, 14: 1007-1024. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, LLC.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2021 · doi:10.1002/aur.2447