Our methodology
How we teach reading: structured, multisensory and neurodiversity-affirming
Reading is a skill that has to be taught explicitly. Autistic children deserve that teaching delivered in a way that respects their bodies, their communication and their interests.
Why reading can look different for autistic learners
Skilled reading needs two things working together: decoding (turning print into words) and language comprehension (understanding those words). Researchers call this the Simple View of Reading. Many autistic children have an uneven profile across the two — and that’s the key to teaching them well.
Strong decoders, shaky meaning
Some children read early and fluently — sometimes called hyperlexia — but struggle with vocabulary, inference or following a story.
Strong understanding, stuck on print
Others understand far more than they can show, but need explicit, systematic phonics to crack the code.
Demands, sensory load and stamina
Anxiety around demands, a noisy environment or a long lesson can block learning long before reading skills do.
That’s why every child starts with an intake and a gentle reading snapshot. We find where the gaps are, then teach to them directly.
The “what” we teach
Structured literacy
Our lessons follow the principles of structured literacy, the approach supported by decades of reading research. We draw on Orton-Gillingham principles and use the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence as a framework for phonics.
- Explicit — every concept is taught directly, never left to guesswork
- Systematic & cumulative — skills build in a careful order, and earlier skills are reviewed constantly
- Multisensory — children see, hear, say, move and touch as they learn
- Diagnostic — we adjust each lesson based on what your child showed us last time
- Phonemic awareness
- Phonics and decoding
- Fluency
- Vocabulary and oral language
- Reading comprehension
- Spelling and written expression (by hand, keyboard or AAC)
The “how” we teach
Neurodiversity-affirming support
Good reading instruction only works when a child feels safe enough to learn. These practices are built into every session:
- Visual schedules and first–then boards so your child always knows what’s next and when it ends
- Choice and control wherever possible — which activity first, which tiles, which story
- Positive reinforcement that matters to your child, built around their interests
- Sensory and movement breaks as part of the plan, not as something to earn
- Stimming welcomed and no forced eye contact
- Demand-sensitive teaching — invitations instead of instructions for children who find demands hard
- Session lengths matched to stamina, from short bursts upward
Interest-led decodables
Stories about the things your child loves
Decodable texts use only the sound patterns a child has been taught, so they can succeed by sounding out instead of guessing. We go one step further: we write them about your child’s special interests.
A Minecraft fan might read about Steve digging a pit. A space fan reads about a ship that can zip past the sun. Same phonics, far more motivation.
Sample decodable · short u + “sh”
Sam and Mum run to the bus.
The bus is red. It stops at Bloor.
“Rush, Sam, rush!”
The train is in. Up the track it goes.
Sam can sit. Sam is glad.
Written for a TTC-loving learner. Target sounds are highlighted; “Bloor” and “goes” are pre-taught heart words.
Every communicator is a reader
We presume competence. Children who are non-speaking, minimally speaking or who use AAC can show us what they know in lots of ways:
- Building words with letter tiles
- Pointing to or choosing between written words
- Typing or spelling on their AAC device
- Matching words to pictures
- Yes/no or multiple-choice comprehension questions
- Partner-assisted choices
If your child has an SLP, we’ll gladly align with their AAC goals and vocabulary.
Inside a lesson
What a typical session looks like
Here’s an example of a 45-minute session. Every child’s lesson is adapted to their stamina, and early sessions are often shorter.
| Part of the lesson | About | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Arrive & preview | 2–3 min | A visual schedule shows exactly what’s coming. Your child can help choose the order of some activities. |
| Sound play warm-up | 5 min | Quick, playful phonemic awareness: rhyming, blending and segmenting sounds — out loud, with gestures, or with tiles. |
| New concept | 8–10 min | One new sound or pattern taught explicitly and multisensorily: see it, say it, trace it, tap it, build it. |
| Movement break | 2–3 min | Regulation built in — trampoline, wall push-ups, a walk to the window, or a favourite stim. Not a reward to be earned. |
| Build & read words | 8–10 min | Word building with letter tiles, then reading and spelling words using only the patterns already taught. |
| Interest-led story | 8–10 min | A short decodable story about your child’s special interest, with comprehension talk at their communication level. |
| Celebrate & choose | 3–5 min | Finish on a win: a quick replay of today’s best moment and a chosen activity. |
Working with your child’s team
With your permission, we share goals and progress with your child’s teacher, IEP team, SLP, OT or BCBA so everyone reinforces the same skills.
Measuring progress
We take a gentle baseline snapshot at the start, track skills every lesson, and send plain-language progress notes you can actually use.
Ready when you are
Let’s help your child become a confident, happy reader
Call Mike K directly at 416-845-1532, or fill in the 3-minute intake and he’ll call you at a time that suits you.