Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of paraprofessional-implemented dialogic reading (DR) strategies on the comprehension, interaction, and attending abilities of a child on the autism spectrum. The secondary purpose was to understand whether the DR strategies assisted the paraprofessional in establishing meaningful interactions and positive behavioral changes with her student on the autism spectrum. A single subject across behaviors design was implemented with one paraprofessional and her student with autism. Judged from visual analysis of the graphical representation of the data, it was determined that there was a medium to strong functional relationship (depending on the individual strategy) between the education of the paraprofessional on DR and the utilization of DR during shared book reading. The child participant did not exhibit overt gains through traditional DR in appropriate verbal responding but did experience a shift towards more consistent correct responding as a result of the DR prompts. These results provide preliminary evidence that paraprofessionals can effectively implement DR strategies in shared book reading with children who are not typically developing. Future research for this population should address certain aspects of traditional DR that could be adapted to more appropriately cater to the needs of children on the autism spectrum.

Thesis Completion

2018

Semester

Fall

Thesis Chair/Advisor

Towson, Jacqueline

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Health Professions and Sciences

Department

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Degree Program

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

1 year

Release Date

6-1-2019

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