The use of pictorial or graphic representation in reading comprehension interventions for students with autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of pictorial and graphic representations (PGR) in enhancing reading comprehension among K-12 students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through synthesizing findings from five single-case experimental design studies, the analysis explores how different modalities, age groups, instructional contexts, and task types influence comprehension outcomes. Results indicate that interventions utilizing PGR show moderate-to-strong positive effects overall (Tau-U = 0.85), which means they significantly improve reading comprehension in students with ASD. However, variability was observed across modalities, with technology-based interventions demonstrating strong but varied effectiveness, and paper-based interventions exhibiting more consistent outcomes.The findings highlight the importance of carefully selecting appropriate visual supports and comprehension measures tailored to students' cognitive profiles and instructional needs. Future research should expand sample sizes, explore group instructional settings, and further investigate the relative effectiveness of various visual modalities to optimize educational strategies for enhancing reading comprehension in students with ASD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)