Using assistive technology with SRSD to support students on the autism spectrum with persuasive writing

Abstract

Children on the autism spectrum (AS) often struggle with writing tasks at school. They commonly experience difficulty with two key aspects of writing: the skills required for handwriting (fine motor and perceptual) and the conceptual and language skills required for written composition. Specialist intervention to assist with written expression is, therefore, often needed for students on the AS to succeed academically. This research evaluated the impact of using self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) in combination with assistive technology on the quality and length of written compositions of students on the AS. It also investigated how students felt about using the SRSD writing strategy. Eight primary school students on the AS between the ages of 9 and 12 participated in this single-subject study. An ABAC study design was used to evaluate student writing performance across three conditions. Baseline handwriting measurements were collected during condition A. During condition B students used assistive technology alone; in condition C, students applied their understanding of SRSD while using assistive technology. Results from this study show that, in many cases, the quality and/or length of written compositions and feelings of self-efficacy towards persuasive writing of students on the AS improved when they received physical and/or conceptual writing supports. This paper presents the research design, methods and results from this single-subject study followed by a discussion of the results and final thoughts and areas for future research. Practitioner Notes What is already known about this topic? There is limited research about how the persuasive writing of students on the autism spectrum (AS) can be supported in a socially inclusive way. Research has shown that the use of assistive technologies like keyboards and writing-support software can improve the writing outcomes of students on the AS. Research has shown that the use of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) writing strategies can improve the persuasive writing outcomes of diverse students. What this paper adds? A single-subject study using an ABAC study design showed that persuasive writing outcomes improved in quality or length for some students when they used an app that combined the two strategies. Implications for policy and practice SRSD combined with writing-support software appeared to improve the writing outcomes of some students on the AS. It can, therefore, be used as a tool to support teachers in developing strategies for inclusive classrooms. Show more