Correlation Between Emergent Literacy Skills and Reading Abilities in Young Autistic Children: A Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Literacy Research

Background:

• Autistic children often face challenges with emergent literacy skills compared to neurotypical peers.
• While foundational for typical reading development, the link between emergent literacy and reading skills in autism is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the correlation between emergent literacy skills and reading abilities (word recognition, reading comprehension) in young autistic children.
• To synthesize existing research through a meta-analysis.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis of 14 correlational studies.
• Inclusion of 837 autistic children aged 28–109 months.
• Calculation of average weighted effect size and exploration of moderator variables.

Main Results:

• A significant positive correlation was found between emergent literacy skills and reading abilities in autistic children.
• No significant differences in correlation based on reading ability type or emergent literacy skill type.
• Lower average IQ scores were marginally associated with a stronger correlation between emergent literacy and reading ability.

Conclusions:

• Findings underscore the importance of emergent literacy for autistic children's reading development.
• Recommends early assessment of emergent literacy to identify at-risk children.
• Advocates for active promotion and teaching of emergent literacy skills to enhance reading abilities.