Children with autism and Asperger's need to be purposefully taught difficult concepts using visuals and hands-on activities as often as possible. They need highly structured learning experiences, and as they think in pictures, they need plentiful visuals and concrete objects in their learning.
When deciding how to most effectively teach autistic children to read, several ideas should be considered: the child’s learning strengths and preferences, the medium you use, and finally, the approach to teaching reading. Look at the child first: right-brain dominant vs. left-brain dominant What is most important to consider is your child’s natural learning strengths. As they take in new information, many children with autism benefit from visuals that convey meaning. Children with autism can be great at detecting patterns and at capturing concepts at a glance that might elude their more left-brain dominant counterparts. Any time I hear someone say that their child loves looking for patterns, I think, “AHA! Here is a child who is global, visual, and...
Although many children with autism are able to read, some parents find that comprehension can be an area of concern. Many special education teachers and parents of autistic children believe that children with autism learn best with hands-on or very colorful activities.