ASD, so worried about reading and learning difficulties

[Cailinrua]

My 6 year old DS (ASD) is in mainstream with a full statement and one to one TA etc. He is reasonably happy and settled there but struggling to make any academic progress. He seems to know all his Jolly Phonics sounds but can't seem to focus or apply them to reading. We are stuck on the same first 20 key words for almost 2 years and at times he recognises them all correctly and at others he still mixes them up. We are reading the same level 1 books over and over because he is not ready to move on. I feel so frustrated with how to help him and wonder will he ever be able to read?

We have almost completed the first 40 episodes of Headsprout which I heard about on here. He has enjoyed it and seems to do well but when I point out a word he has just been learning about in today's episode, he doesn't know it.

I am now just wondering if he has greater learning difficulties than we all think and perhaps he is just going to be totally incapable of ever learning to read. And if he can't read, how will he make any progress anywhere else at school. (I'm not even thinking of writing yet!). Can anyone advise me about this? Are some children just incapable of learning to read. has anyone had a similar experience and tell me how child progressed, good or bad!

I've the highest regard for Montessori.
When something like this has been devised by someone who knows what they are doing, all well and good.
It is dangerous in the hands of someone who is well meaning but does not have a clear understanding of the relationship between sounds and letters. For that, an s/lt who really understands literacy is your best bet, but there aren't many of those about.

It is difficult for someone without a clear knowledge of phonetics and phonology. Lots of shady areas like what to do about 'liquids' for example (aka semi vowels).

An evidence based curriculum with explicit guidelines on instruction is pretty impervious to people messing it up but still possible, believe me. I don't mean this however. I am referring more to someone trying to create one from scratch. An slts input is useful when you come across situations when for example there are vowels present which aren't reflected by orthographic transcription. Most slts aren't interested in reading and writing which is a real shame, not only because of what they know about phonetics and phonology but also because it is a means of communication and often easier for a child with communication problems. As unlike the spoken word, it doesn't disappear.

Aah, moondog, you've done it again. I google some technical term in one of your posts and 3 clicks later am busy reading some highly interesting but random geeky stuff...

instead of sensibly going to bed, ready to practice grouping high-frequency words in the morning so i can convince the dc that a see-say-cover-write spelling session is fun

Right. Willpower. Bed!

OP, before I hit the pillow, wanted to say that something strikes me...

surely the teachers must know that unsuccessfully reading the same level 1 books over and over for years, would be the most effective method you could devise to put any dc off learning to read. Let alone one who found it difficult and unrewarding already.

I'm sure it'll be more complex, but, just in case, will ask. Could there be one or two simple rules or assumptions which he just hasn't 'got'?

For example, it took ds more than 2years of knowing his phonics before the penny finally dropped about 'blending', ie you can combine the individual sounds to make other sounds. He couldn't get that "a+ t = at". And later it took a while to make sense of gold+fish = goldfish. I'd tried and tried to explain, demonstrate, explore the concept. Nothing I did really helped, but one day, he had a lightbulb moment.

Interesting link Maryeea!
I can assure you that done well, a 'see-say-cover-write spelling session is fun'. That means delivery must be fluent, no time wasted on conversational 'fill ins' (that's where many teachers and LSAs go wrong. They think chitchat makes it more fun. It doesn't. It lessens opportunities for student responding and drags the session out. Reducing this is one of my main aims in all the work I do.)

It is indeed madness to keep on doing the same thing over nad over when it doesn't work and the longer you go on using an ineffectual method, the moe you strengthen the unfortunate child's learning history of repertoires (eg guessing, distracting, resistiing)

A child (like all of us) learns to use what works best for him and in such a situation they have found that the guessing or avoiding works best to avoid a dire situtation that is going nowhere fast.
Blending and ultimately reading is within the reach of most kids.

So you are starting with gross physical movements which are fun and then in effect pointing out 'You know mini zzzz, it would actually be a whole lot less hassle for you to do that on a piece of paper'.
Yes?

Yes, excellent.
He himself has (by your cunning design) realised he can dramatically reduce response effort.

Cognitive Economy