Date of Graduation

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders

Advisor/Mentor

Lorah, Elizabeth

Committee Member/Reader

Holyfield, Christine

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate an intervention procedure to teach letter-sound correspondence for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Similar studies have been conducted; however, further research is needed. Purpose: Evaluation of this intervention to see improvement of letter-sound correspondence over five rounds of exposure to the intervention. Methodology: The research design was a single case study using a multiple baseline across participants. Baseline data were collected before intervention. The target population included three students aged 3-5 diagnosed with ASD who were previously enrolled in the Autism Clinic on campus. Materials included a laminated picture page for the letter, five response pages with the target letter highlighted, five response pages with no highlighting, and characters for identifying the correct letter. The dependent variable for this study was independently and correctly identifying letters with their corresponding sound out of five sets. This reflects the goal to evaluate the comprehension of letter-sound correspondence. Percent correct on probes data were collected out of two trials each session on correct and incorrect responses when asked to identify a sound with a corresponding letter. If correct for one trail and wrong for the second, the data reflected 50/100, if correct for both trails the data reflected 100/100, and if incorrect for both trails the data reflected 0/100. General procedures included researchers teaching the students the information (1st active practice, 2nd guided practice, 3rd independent practice) three times and then evaluating. Results: We discovered that this intervention process worked better with some students compared to others. Two of the three students showed growth in their knowledge of letter-sound correspondence. Discussion: While results show an improvement in letter-sound correspondence for two out of three students, we need to consider student behaviors and stimulations that cause distractions from the teaching and intervention. Other literature has shown the importance of letter-sound correspondence intervention for students with ASD for later reading comprehension. This information shows that we can use this intervention practice in therapy sessions and school to teach students letter-sound correspondence. We can continue research by evaluating another intervention process and comparing the two to see what process works best.

Keywords

letter-sound correspondence (LSC); autism; communication

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