The Effects of Dialogic Reading Intervention on Verbal Interaction and Engagement in Young Autistic Children: A Randomized Controlled Preliminary Study.
Wenwen Hou, Shuqin Liang, Jing Li
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In 30 seconds
This preliminary randomized controlled trial compared dialogic reading with standard book reading in 14 young children with autism. Nine children received dialogic reading and five received standard reading across 12 sessions over four weeks. During intervention, the dialogic-reading group showed significant improvements in responding to adult questions and initiating comments relative to the comparison group. The study also reported improved vocabulary knowledge and reduced disengagement. Communication skills generalized to new books, but this result reached only marginal significance.
Key findings
- Compared with standard book reading, dialogic reading significantly improved responses to adult questions and initiation of comments during intervention.
- Dialogic reading facilitated vocabulary knowledge and reduced children’s disengagement.
- Communication skills generalized to new books, although the effect reached only marginal significance.
Why it matters
Shared book reading may offer a structured context for supporting communication and engagement in young autistic children. The reported gains across verbal interaction, vocabulary, and task engagement suggest potential value beyond eliciting answers alone, while the uncertain generalization result highlights the importance of assessing skills with unfamiliar materials.
What to keep in mind
This was a preliminary trial with only 14 children, including unequal groups of nine and five; generalization to new books reached only marginal significance.