Dialogic Reading Effect on Communicative Initiations and Responses for Children with Autism: A Systematic Review

Dialogic reading (DR) is an evidence-based interactive shared reading intervention. This systematic review investigated the effect of DR interventions on the communicative initiations and responses of children with autism, an area of great difficulty for most individuals with autism. More precisely, the paper aimed to (a) describe the characteristics of DR interventions, (b) evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of DR interventions, and (c) synthesize the quality of the studies. Nine experimental studies were included in the review in which the original DR intervention or adapted versions of it were examined. All studies provided strong to adequate research report strength. Although the review showed inconsistent effects of the interventions on the communicative initiations and responses of children with autism, it concluded that DR can be a promising and beneficial shared reading intervention.