ERIC Number: EJ1442852
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Oct
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: EISSN-1573-3432
Writing Self-Concept, Text Engagement, and Writing Practices across Contexts: Comparisons between School-Age Children on the Autism Spectrum and Their Non-Autistic Peers
Matthew C. Zajic; James B. McCauley; Nancy S. McIntyre; Peter C. Mundy
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v54 n10 p3792-3807 2024
Autistic children demonstrate highly variable written language skills. Existing research has focused on examining autistic children's performance on direct assessments of written language. In contrast, few studies have sought to understand how autistic children conceptualize their writing abilities or engage with writing across different contexts compared to non-autistic peers. This study used a researcher-designed questionnaire to examine writing self-concept, text engagement with different writing activities, and writing practices and beliefs across school and non-school contexts in school-age (10-18 years old) autistic children compared to their non-autistic peers. Data analysis approaches included "multiple indicators, multiple causes" (MIMIC) modeling; correlational and multiple regression analysis; non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests; and principal components analysis. Groups did not differ in their writing self-concept ratings. Furthermore, both groups engaged with a variety of different writing activities to a similar extent except for text messages being lower for the autistic group. Five components were extracted via principal components analysis on items related to writing practices and beliefs across contexts; groups did not differ across the components. Overall, the non-autistic group showed more consistent relationships between writing self-concept as well as writing practices and beliefs with performance on a narrative writing task when compared to the autistic group. Results offer a preliminary understanding into how autistic children engage with writing across contexts for a variety of purposes when compared to their non-autistic peers and offer implications for continued research and educational practice.
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children, Language Skills, Writing Skills, Writing Ability, Learner Engagement, Self Concept, Context Effect, Writing Processes, Beliefs, Writing (Composition)
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2123/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) (ED/IES)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R324A20168