Recording of Kerry Quinney Yes, Students with Autism Can Learn to Decode Webinar

Presenter: Kerry Quinney, Ph.D Educators often focus on teaching functional reading and memorizing key words to students with autism spectrum disorder. Memorizing words is important, however students with autism are capable of learning to decode to read. Reading is a functional skill and necessary in school and society. Reading deficits pose grave limitations to inclusion in society (Sermier Dessemontet & Francoise de Chambrier, 2015), therefore, all students with autism should be taught to decode.Educators often struggle teaching these students due to maladaptive behavior and deficits in communication and social emotional skills. Bolstering social emotional skills is especially important since Covid. This training will help educators better understand how to work on literacy skills while simultaneously improving learning-to-learn behavior. Educators will also learn how to concurrently improve speech and communication skills using the multisensory Lively Letters program.