Literacy Interventions as Rehabilitation Strategies for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5902/1984644495536Parole chiave:
Autism Spectrum Disorder, literacy, Assistive technology, Rehabilitation, Functional Outcomes, Inclusive Education, Pedagogical MediationAbstract
This study systematically reviewed pedagogical and technological approaches to literacy in students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with a focus on functional outcomes framed within a biopsychosocial rehabilitation model. Rehabilitation was operationalized as support for functional communication, literacy autonomy, and social participation, rather than solely as clinical remediation. The systematic review was conducted using the Methodi Ordinatio methodology and followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Articles published between 2019 and 2025 in SciELO, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct were retrieved. Studies were ranked using the InOrdinatio index, and those scoring >90 were included in the final synthesis. The final synthesis analyzed 23 studies. Findings clustered into three themes: (i) reading and comprehension skills, where letter recognition is often preserved but difficulties persist in vocabulary, phonological awareness, and comprehension; (ii) pedagogical mediation practices, especially shared reading, which improve joint attention and functional communication; and (iii) digital and assistive technologies, including Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools, which support functional literacy even for nonspeaking students. The review shows that literacy interventions for students with ASD contribute to academic performance and to rehabilitation-oriented outcomes when they expand communication, autonomy, and social participation. It also indicates that expanded research in underrepresented regions is essential to ensure culturally responsive and equitable practices.
Riferimenti bibliografici
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Arciuli, J., & Bailey, B. (2019). Efficacy of ABRACADABRA literacy instruction in a school setting for children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 85, 104–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2018.11.003
Bailey, B., & Arciuli, J. (2022). Literacy instruction for autistic children who speak languages other than English. Autism, 26(2), 389–405. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211025422
Bailey, B., Sellwood, D., Rillotta, F., Raghavendra, P., & Arciuli, J. (2022). A trial of online ABRACADABRA literacy instruction with supplementary parent-led shared book reading for children with autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 124, 104198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104198
Bardin, L. (2011). Análise de conteúdo. São Paulo: Edições 70.
Boyle, S. A., McNaughton, D., & Chapin, S. E. (2019). Effects of shared reading on the early language and literacy skills of children with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 34(4), 205–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357619838276
Brazil. (1988). Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil of 1988. Brasília, DF: Presidency of the Republic.
Brazil. (2008). Política Nacional de Educação Especial na Perspectiva da Educação Inclusiva. Brasília, DF: Ministério da Educação.
Brazil. (2012). Law No. 12.764, of December 27, 2012. Institutes the National Policy for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brasília, DF: Presidency of the Republic.
Brazil. (2015). Law No. 13.146, of July 6, 2015. Institutes the Brazilian Law for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. Brasília, DF: Presidency of the Republic.
Author(s). (2025). Protocol for systematic review: blinded for peer review. Available online: blinded for peer review (accessed on 11 November 2025). https://doi.org/ blinded for peer review
Caron, J., Light, J., & McNaughton, D. (2021). Effects of a literacy feature in an augmentative and alternative communication app on single word reading of individuals with severe autism spectrum disorders. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 46(1), 18–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1540796921992123
Coburn, K. L., Kurtz, M. R., Rivera, D., & Kana, R. K. (2022). Behavioral and neurobiological evidence for the effects of reading interventions on autistic children: A systematic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 139, 104748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104748
Fleury, V. P., Whalon, K., Gilmore, C., Wang, X., & Marks, R. (2021). Building comprehension skills of young children with autism one storybook at a time. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 52(1), 153–164. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_LSHSS-20-00026
Guasch, R. F., & Gavaldà, J. M. S. (2020). Comparação das estratégias metodológicas utilizadas em duas escolas inclusivas com alunos com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA). Revista Educação, 44(1). https://doi.org/10.15517/revedu.v44i1.36889
Guerra, S. M. (2021). Eu estou aqui! O autismo na escola. Curitiba: Appris.
Guyatt, G., Oxman, A. D., Akl, E. A., Kunz, R., Vist, G., Brozek, J., Norris, S., Falck-Ytter, Y., Glasziou, P., deBeer, H., Jaeschke, R., Rind, D., Meerpohl, J., Dahm, P., & Schünemann, H. J. (2011). GRADE guidelines: 1. Introduction—GRADE evidence profiles and summary of findings tables. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 64(4), 383–394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.04.026
Hong, Q. N., Fàbregues, S., Bartlett, G., Boardman, F., Cargo, M., Dagenais, P., Gagnon, M.-P., Griffiths, F., Nicolau, B., O'Cathain, A., Rousseau, M.-C., Vedel, I., & Pluye, P. (2018). The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 2018 for information professionals and researchers. Education for Information, 34(4), 285–291. https://doi.org/10.3233/EFI-180221
Horner, R. H., Carr, E. G., Halle, J., McGee, G., Odom, S., & Wolery, M. (2005). The use of single-subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Exceptional Children, 71(2), 165–179. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440290507100203
Jaswal, V. K., Lampi, A. J., & Stockwell, K. M. (2024). Literacy in nonspeaking autistic people. Autism, 28(10), 2503–2514. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241230709
Kiliç-Tülü, B., Ökcün-Akçamuş, M. Ç., & Ergül, C. (2023). Investigation of early literacy skills in children on the autism spectrum: The case of Turkish-speaking children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(6), 2395–2408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05456-8
Kimhi, Y., & Achtarzad, M. (2025). Designing a Multi-Component Emergent-Literacy Intervention Program for Children With Autism. Intervention in School and Clinic , 61(2), 74-82. https://doi.org/10.1177/10534512251368344
Kozleski, E. B., Hunt, P., Mortier, K., Stepaniuk, I., Fleming, D., Balasubramanian, L., Leu, G., & Munandar, V. (2021). What peers, educators, and principals say: The social validity of inclusive, comprehensive literacy instruction. Exceptional Children, 87(3), 289–306. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402920969184
Kritsotakis, G., & Morfidi, E. (2025). Reading Comprehension Challenges in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Linguistic Factors and Figurative Language Proficiency. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23969415251371544
Lawton, A. (2025). Leveraging AI to Enhance Literacy in Students with ASD: Insights and Applications. Georgia Journal of Literacy, 47(1). https://doi.org/10.56887/galiteracy.183
Lockwood, C., Munn, Z., & Porritt, K. (2015). Qualitative research synthesis: Methodological guidance for systematic reviewers utilizing meta-aggregation. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 13(3-4), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.1097/XEB.0000000000000062
Maluf, A. C. M. (2023). Autista – e agora?: Teoria e práticas vivenciais. Petrópolis, RJ: Vozes.
Mantoan, M. T. E. (2003). Inclusão escolar: o que é? Por quê? Como fazer? São Paulo: Moderna.
Mantoan, M. T. E. (2015). A escolarização de alunos com necessidades educacionais especiais (2nd ed.). Campinas, SP: Autores Associados.
Moola, S., Munn, Z., Sears, K., Sfetcu, R., Currie, M., Lisy, K., Qureshi, R., Mattis, P., & Mu, P. (2015). Conducting systematic reviews of association (etiology): The Joanna Briggs Institute's approach. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 13(3-4), 163–169. https://doi.org/10.1097/XEB.0000000000000064
Murphy, A., Arciuli, J., Bailey, B., et al. (2025). ABRACADABRA literacy instruction delivered by speech-language pathologists to children with autism during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1(14). https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2025.2555990
Pagani, R., Kovaleski, J., & Resende, L. (2015). Methodi Ordinatio: A proposed methodology to select and rank relevant scientific papers encompassing the impact factor, number of citation, and year of publication. Scientometrics, 105(3), 2109–2135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1744-x
Pagani, R. N., Kovaleski, J. L., & Resende, L. (2017). Tics na composição da Methodi Ordinatio: Construção de portfólio bibliográfico sobre modelos de transferência de tecnologia. Ciência da Informação, 46(2).
Pagani, R. N., Kovaleski, J. L., & Resende, L. M. (2022). Methodi Ordinatio: Atualização da metodologia para revisão sistemática da literatura. Scientometrics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-022-04521-3
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., Moher, D. (2021).
The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Ribeiro, C. F., Mecca, T. P., Brito, G. R., & Seabra, A. G. (2021). Reconhecimento de palavras, fluência e compreensão de leitura em alunos com Transtorno do Espectro Autista. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, 27, 919–934. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-54702021v27e0050
Shea, B. J., Reeves, B. C., Wells, G., Thuku, M., Hamel, C., Moran, J., Moher, D., Tugwell, P., Welch, V., Kristjansson, E., & Henry, D. A. (2017). AMSTAR 2: A critical appraisal tool for systematic reviews that include randomised or non-randomised studies of healthcare interventions, or both. BMJ, 358, Article j4008. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j4008
Silva, L. R., Silva, A. P., Elias, N. C., & Isotani, S. (2020). Computational approaches for literacy of children with autism: A systematic mapping. Interactive Learning Environments, 30(10), 1956–1966. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.178026
Solari, E. J., Henry, A. R., Grimm, R. P., Zajic, M. C., & McGinty, A. (2022). Code-related literacy profiles of kindergarten students with autism. Autism, 26(1), 230–242. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211025904
Sterne, J. A. C., Hernán, M. A., Reeves, B. C., Savović, J., Berkman, N. D., Viswanathan, M., Henry, D., Altman, D. G., Ansari, M. T., Boutron, I., Carpenter, J. R., Chan, A.-W., Churchill, R., Deeks, J. J., Hróbjartsson, A., Kirkham, J., Jüni, P., Loke, Y. K., Pigott, T. D., Ramsay, C. R., Regidor, D., Rothstein, H. R., Sandhu, L., Santaguida, P. L., Schünemann, H. J., Shea, B., Shrier, I., Tugwell, P., Turner, L., Valentine, J. C., Waddington, H., Waters, E., Wells, G. A., Whiting, P. F., & Higgins, J. P. T. (2016). ROBINS-I: A tool for assessing risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions. BMJ, 355, Article i4919. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i4919
Thompson, J. L., Plavnick, J. B., Skibbe, L. E., Bak, M. Y. S., & Doher, P. (2022). Beyond tier three: Individualized levels of support during Headsprout® early reading instruction for children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(5), 2132–2148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05072-y
UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education. Paris: UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000098427
UNESCO. (2020). Global education monitoring report 2020: Inclusion and education – All means all. Paris: UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373718
United Nations. (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. New York: United Nations.
Wang, X. (2025). Emergent literacy instruction for autistic children: A preliminary study of teacher knowledge. Early Childhood Education Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01875-1
Westerveld, M. F., Paynter, J., Brignell, A., & Reilly, S. (2020). No differences in code-related emergent literacy skills in well-matched 4-year-old children with and without ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(8), 3060–3065. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04407-5
Wicks, R., Paynter, J., & Westerveld, M. F. (2020). Looking or talking: Visual attention and verbal engagement during shared book reading of preschool children on the autism spectrum. Autism, 24(6), 1384–1399. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319900594
Willems, K., Loveall, S. J., Goodrich, J. M., & Lang, D. (2025). Correlation Between Emergent Literacy Skills and Reading Abilities in Young Autistic Children: A Meta-Analysis. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 56(3), 847–863. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_LSHSS-24-00108
World Health Organization. (2001). International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: ICF. Geneva: World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (2019). International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (11th ed.). https://icd.who.int/
World Health Organization & The World Bank. (2011). World report on disability. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564182
##submission.downloads##
Pubblicato
Come citare
Fascicolo
Sezione
Categorie
Licenza
Copyright (c) 2026 Education
Questo lavoro è fornito con la licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale 4.0 Internazionale.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Declaramos o artigo _______________________________ a ser submetido para avaliação o periódico Educação (UFSM) é original e inédito, assim como não foi enviado para qualquer outra publicação, como um todo ou uma fração.
Também reconhecemos que a submissão dos originais à Revista Educação (UFSM) implica na transferência de direitos autorais para publicação digital na revista. Em caso de incumprimento, o infrator receberá sanções e penalidades previstas pela Lei Brasileira de Proteção de Direitos Autorais (n. 9610, de 19/02/98).
_______________________________________________________
Nome completo do primeiro autor
CPF ________________
