Code- and Meaning-related Emergent Literacy Skills and Joint Attention in Autistic and Non-Autistic Children

Code- and meaning-related emergent literacy skills of autistic children were compared to those of non-autistic children who did not differ on age and full-scale IQ (FSIQ). The associations between joint attention skills and early literacy abilities were of interest. Seventeen autistic and 20 non-autistic children (48 to 72 months) participated. Parents completed a joint attention measure and children completed code- and meaning-related emergent literacy skills measures. Findings showed that autistic and non-autistic children did not differ on code-related emergent literacy skills, letter knowledge and phonological awareness, but autistic children scored lower on print conceptsand name writing. Autistic children also scored lower on meaning-related skills assessing the comprehensive and quality of oral narratives. FSIQ predicted print concept knowledge in all children. Receptive vocabulary was a significant predictor of meaning-related skills in autistic children and the quality of oral narratives in non-autisticchildren. Joint attention was also a significant predictor of oral narrative quality in autistic children. Recommendations for promoting emergent literacy skills using a strength-based approach are discussed.