Headsprout Reading Program in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Reading Delay

Headsprout is a commercially available computer-based reading program that teaches children fundamental reading skills, including phonics, fluency, and comprehension. The Headsprout reading intervention has been shown to be effective with children with various levels of reading skills, but it has not been rigorously tested in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Headsprout in a pilot sample of 18 children with ASD and reading delays to serve as a foundation for a larger, future randomized clinical trial (RCT). Eighteen participants will be included in the study and randomly assigned to one of two groups; the first group will immediately receive treatment with the Headsprout reading program and the second treatment group will receive treatment after 12 weeks. Treatment sessions will occur for one to two hours, two to four days a week, for twelve weeks. The participants who do not receive treatment immediately will be asked to complete reading assessments periodically throughout their wait time. Participation may occur in clinic or via telehealth.