Drawing a Blank: Improving Comprehension for Readers on the Autism Spectrum

Although they may be fluent readers - indeed, many have very precocious reading skills - individuals with autism spectrum disorders often need support for comprehension. Comprehension difficulties in readers with ASD can be subtle, qualitative, and difficult to tease out. As a result, their substantial level of risk for reading comprehension problems is often overlooked or unaddressed, and many students struggle in silence. Further aggravating the situation is the fact that otherwise competent educational professionals is both general education and special education settings have limited training and experience helping readers with ASD.This is where Drawing a Blank comes in. Using a clearly stated and well-organized approach, this practical resource provides educational professionals and parents with the tools to improve comprehension for good decoders who have reading comprehension difficulties, as well as readers who struggle with both decoding and comprehension. In keeping with current standards, the book emphasizes the importance of using evidence-based and promising practices based on thorough assessment of student's needs.

Emily lives in Santa Clarita, CA, with her husband Steve and their family. In Autism Spectrum Disorders from A to Z, she draws on her experiences advocating for her son Tom who has ASD, and assisting other families. Emily's co-author is her sister, Barbara Doyle, who shares her perspective as an educational professional and autism specialist. Emily translated their book into Spanish and published the Spanish version in June, 2005. Los Trastornos del Espectro de Autismo de la A a la Z is the winner of the 2006 Outstanding Literary Work of the Year from the Autism Society of America. In April, 2007 both books were awarded the Exceptional Parent Magazine Symbol of Excellence Award. Emily is a member of the Transition Task Force of the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism and will be providing data from her thesis to inform the Commission's legislative recommendations. She is the Secretary of the Autism Society of America, Los Angeles, and a founding member of SCAAN, Santa Clarita Autism Asperger Network. Emily is a founding member of C.L.E.A.R, Community and Law Enforcement Aware Response, a collaborative to reduce criminal involvement of people with disabilities and help law enforcement officials be informed in their response to people with special needs.