Keywords
Adulthood, Asperger's syndrome, Inference, Reading
Abstract
The ability to generate inferences is a skill that is necessary to fully comprehend a text and understand the intentions, behaviors, and emotions of a conversational partner. Individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) have been shown to demonstrate significant difficulty in inference generation in both social contexts and in reading comprehension. Although, the reciprocity of the four components of literacy (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) has been established in the literature (Bradley & Bryant, 1983; Catts & Kamhi, 2005; Englert & Thomas, 1987; Gillon & Dodd, 1995; Hiebert, 1980; Kroll, 1981; Ruddell & Ruddell, 1994); the relationship between inference generation in reading and social inference generation is not well understood. The present study investigated the efficacy of a language-focused reading inference strategy intervention (ACT & Check Strategy) on the general reading comprehension, inference generation in reading, social inference, and metacognitive ability of adults with AS. Twenty-five adults with AS were randomly assigned to either a treatment or a control group. The treatment group participants were divided into groups of 3-4 based on their availability and preferred location for treatment resulting in a total of 4 groups. Each group met in one-hour sessions twice a week for a total of six weeks. When controlling for pretest scores, the treatment group was found to perform significantly better on one measure of inference generation in reading and metacognitive ability compared to the control group. Significant differences between groups were not found in two measures of inference generation in reading comprehension or social inference ability.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2011
Semester
Fall
Advisor
Nye, William
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Education and Human Performance
Degree Program
Education; Communication Sciences and Disorders
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0004146
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0004146
Language
English
Release Date
12-15-2016
Length of Campus-only Access
5 years
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
Subjects
Dissertations, Academic -- Education, Education -- Dissertations, Academic
STARS Citation
Murza, Kimberly A., "Effects Of A Reading Inference Strategy Intervention On The Reading And Social Inference Abilities Of Adults With Asperger Syndrome" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1784.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/1784