How do children neurodivergent children learn to read?

With this project, backed by funds from the Department of Science and Innovation (PID2022-139189NB-I00), we want to understand how children with auditory deficiency, autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disability understand language and how this relates to learning how to read between the ages of 5 and 8.

I want to participate:

If you would like to participate in the project, please fill out the form and we will contact you.

Participation form

You can also write to us directly at atypical@uv.es and Inmaculada Fajardo or Noemi Skrobiszewska will contact you.

What does the study consist of?

The study is made up of 3 sessions with each family that will be repeated in each academic year (2024-2025-2026). During the sessions:

We will narrate short stories to the children while we record them with an eye tracker to collect data on which part of the narrator’s face they are looking at and for how long.
We will conduct a few early reading tests.
We will interview the parents and they will fill out a questionnaires.

Who can participate?

Families with children between the ages of 5 and 8 who are enrolled in the last year of Preschool or in first or second grade of primary school and who have been diagnoses with ASD (Grade 1), auditory deficiency or intellectual disability.
Children aged 5 to 8 who do not have one of the aforementioned diagnosis may also participate as members of the control group.

How long is the study?

3 sessions of 1 hour from February to July 2024 (to be repeated in 2025 and 2026).

When?

Whenever is convenient for your family, association, health centre or school.

Will there be compensation?

Each family will receive:

20 euros per session.
A monitoring report of reading development during 3 academic years.

Certificate of the Ethics Committee of the Universitat de València

Code 2023-MAG-2976144

Team

We are research group of the Universitat de València made up of psychologists and speech therapists: Inmaculada Fajardo (coordinator), Noemi Skrobiszewska, Nadina Gómez-Merino, Vicenta Ávila, Antonio Ferrer, Patricia Pérez-fuster and Carlos Domingo.