Reading Practices in Social Studies Classrooms: Teacher Support for Middle School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder *

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of general education teachers related to their teaching practices and the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The teachers’ viewpoints about their planning and teaching practices, assessment strategies, and incorporation of reading strategies were explored. Interviews were conducted with ten middle school teachers who taught social studies in inclusive classrooms with at least one student with ASD. The findings indicate that social studies teachers taught reading comprehension skills and strategies but did not necessarily implement different teaching practices for the students with ASD. Their responses revealed an absence of a distinct planning process for students with ASD. What the teachers described as collaboration with others appeared to be more a kin to cooperation among colleagues on behalf of the student with ASD. Future research and implications for teacher education are discussed.