English Vocabulary Teaching Strategy: Presenting Meaning and Form to Autism Spectrum Disorder Students

This study investigates the strategies that teachers employ when presenting the meaning and form of a novel English word to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This case study observed and interviewed three teachers who taught five ASD students with diverse characteristics and varying language proficiency. Thematic analysis was conducted by integrating a top-down approach, based on the vocabulary teaching strategies commonly used with typically developing students, and a bottom-up approach, based on the emerging data. The results indicate that, similar to their typically developing peers, the meaning and form of the new English word were introduced by connecting to the first language, providing first language definitions, relating to real objects and phenomena, encouraging students’ active participation through elicitation, and conducting oral drills and word spelling. However, unlike typically developing students, the teachers presented English vocabulary to ASD students while making an effort to capture their attention and engagement in the learning process. This study offers suggestions for teachers and recommendations for future research.