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Written Expression in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

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Abstract

Although studies exist measuring the effectiveness of writing interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), research assessing the writing skills for this group is sparse. The present study identified differences in the written expression of individuals with ASD compared to typically developing (TD) peers, using variables selected from 13 different studies. Using Pearson Product Moment-correlation the relationship between the quality of research studies and the magnitude of the effect sizes was examined. Findings indicate significant differences in the following components of written expression; length, legibility, handwriting size, speed, spelling, and overall structure, highlighting the need for future research to determine if the characteristics of written expression in individuals with ASD are similar to other struggling writers.

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No funding was received in regard to this study.

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I declare this is the original work of the authors EF and ALA.

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Correspondence to Elizabeth Finnegan.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Finnegan, E., Accardo, A.L. Written Expression in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 48, 868–882 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3385-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3385-9

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