Predictors of reading comprehension in autistic primary school students: Evaluating the Direct and Indirect Effects Model of Reading

Purpose: Reading for meaning is foundational for academic success, however, a high percentage of autistic students present with significant challenges in comprehending written texts. While many models of reading comprehension have been proposed, these are commonly based on neurotypical students, with more limited research into their applicability to autistic students. We investigated whether one model of reading, the Direct and Indirect Effects Model of Reading (DIER), could be applied to autistic students. Namely, we sought to determine whether the component skills of the DIER were associated with reading comprehension in this population and whether reading comprehension could be predicted based on significantly associated components. Methods: Assessments across the following DIER components were completed with 69 autistic students in the primary school years in Australia: domain general cognition, word reading, listening comprehension (including foundational oral language skills and higher order cognition), text reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Results: Reading comprehension was correlated with many of the components of the DIER. Of these, non-verbal IQ, text reading fluency, and listening comprehension (including story comprehension, grammar, and perspective taking) accounted for 60.1% of the variance in reading comprehension, with grammar a significant individual predictor. Conclusion: These results suggest that the DIER may be applicable to autistic primary school students, however the relative contributions of the components may differ to neurotypical populations. Our findings provide insights into how this model may function across a wider profile of learners, enhancing our understanding of key areas