How effective are reading comprehension interventions for children with ASD? A meta-analysis of single-case design studies

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at-risk for academic difficulties, particularly reading comprehension. The implementation of research-supported reading comprehension interventions for this population is critical for optimal academic success. The current meta-analysis of single-case design (SCD) studies evaluates the effectiveness of reading comprehension interventions for children with ASD through design comparable effect size (BC-SMD) analyses, log response ratio for increase (LRR-i), and multilevel modeling (MLM). We included SCD studies (20 studies, 60 participants) published in English that met What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) criteria with at least reservations with at least one participant (less than 18 years of age) who had ASD with reading comprehension defined as the dependent variable. Research on this topic is still emerging, but our preliminary results suggest that reading comprehension interventions show promise for children with ASD (BC-SMDoverall = 2.97, 95% CI = 1.85-3.97, p < .001). Further analyses indicate that intervention effectiveness, although broadly effective, differs across child race/ethnicity, chi2(4) = 40.4, p < .001; age, chi2(2) = 52.0, p < .001; participant disability (ASD vs. ASD + speech language impairment), chi2(2) = 44.3, p < .001; and study method quality (meeting WWC vs. meeting WWC with reservations), chi2(2) = 150.4, p < .001. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Impact and Implications -This meta-analysis found that reading comprehension interventions are broadly effective for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, intervention effectiveness differed across child race/ethnicity, age, and the presence of a co-occurring speech-language impairment. These results are important for school contexts given that children with ASD are at-risk for reading difficulties, which may negatively impact overall achievement. Implications and recommendations for school-based professionals regarding reading comprehension intervention implementation for children with ASD are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)