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Browsing by Subject "Special interest areas"

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    Stories from the Spectrum: How Special Interest Areas Affect Writing Quality for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
    (2010) Sivertson, Krista; Hughes, Trudie; Nierengarten, Gerry
    Autism Spectrum disorders affect one in 110 children in the United States today. Research has found that 60% of individuals with autism also have a learning disability in the area of writing (Calhoun & Mayes, 2006). Previously, the "fascinations" or "obsessions" of individuals with autism have been viewed as a deficit. No study to date has determined if written expression can be improved by incorporating special interests. Utilizing a strength-based model, the purpose of this study was to determine if Special Interest Areas affect writing quality for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Five participants in grades 2-5 were interviewed to determine their interest areas and each participant was provided with four writing prompts; two teacher-selected prompts and two SIA-based writing prompts. The results of this study indicate that Special Interest Areas positively affect writing quality for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders.