The Effects of Using Adapted Science eBooks Within Shared Reading on Comprehension and Task Engagement of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Kim et al. (2025) worked with high-school students who have autism. They read science eBooks together with the teacher. The books talked, highlighted key words, and paused for questions. The team tracked comprehension scores and on-task behavior across several weeks.

They used a multiple-baseline design. Each student started the eBook routine at a different time. This let the researchers see if gains truly came from the books, not something else.

Every teen improved reading comprehension after the adapted eBooks began. Most also stayed more engaged or became even more focused during science class. Gains held while the study continued.

Kim et al. (2018) ran a similar shared-reading package with younger kids using story books. Both studies show the same routine works across ages and text types. It is a clean conceptual replication.

Grindle et al. (2012) taught science words with flashcards and teacher scripts. The new eBook method covers the same high-school science goal but adds tech supports. It extends, not replaces, the older direct-instruction work.

Urrea et al. (2024) reviewed tech vocabulary studies and found mixed results. That review looks like a contradiction, yet most of those apps lacked the live teacher and structured before-during-after steps used here. Method difference explains the split.

Laçin (2024) showed adapted shared reading helps preschoolers. Kim et al. (2025) now stretch the idea up to grade 9-12, forming a developmental line of evidence.

If you teach secondary students with autism, you can keep your science content and simply add an adapted eBook. The built-in audio, highlighting, and teacher prompts lift both understanding and participation. Try it next period with one chapter; measure comprehension with three questions and engagement with a 10-second momentary time sample. You may see the same double gain reported here.