Teaching Early Learners With Autism to Follow Written Directions: Making Text Mediate Action to Promote Independence

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can effectively decode and read words fluently, but have significantly below-average understanding of text. Following written directions may hold unique potential as it requires a reader to convert a written text into a goal-directed and observable performance. The present data-based case study investigated whether two elementary students with ASD could learn to follow six-step written directions when they were given access to high-preference items as they completed the final step in the directions. It was anticipated that as the number of directions increased, there would need to be adjustments to the intervention, especially as working memory was taxed and students were reliant on understanding the written text to successfully follow the written directions. At baseline, neither student could follow the six-step directions. After participating in the multiple phases of the intervention, both students learned to read and follow six-step directions without a high preference reward following the last step in the directions. Teaching students to follow written directions by creating opportunities to access preferred items through reading text may provide the origins of making text mediate independent and self-regulated behavior, but it is not sufficient for all students when they lack executive skills. This study discusses implications for research and classroom practice.