Emergent literacy skills are the building blocks of learning to read and write. These early skills are essential for all children to learn. For young autistic children, it's important to consider their individual strengths and interests when deciding how best to support their emergent literacy skills.

During a busy day, it’s natural to turn to your smartphone, But new research suggests that small changes in how and when you use your phone may have a big effect on your child’s opportunities for language learning.

Your child may understand what is happening in a book, but what about why it’s happening?  Talking about the reasons things happen in a story helps your child make important cause-and-effect connections, which deepens their story understanding. Here are some tips to help! 

When you think about the benefits of strong early language skills, you might think about school success, social benefits or literacy learning. But did you know that language skills also support your child’s mental health? Learn more about the specific kinds of language you can help your child learn to support their emotional regulation and mental well-being.  

An effective way to deepen your child’s understanding of a story is to encourage them to make judgments and form opinions about the events that take place. Here are some tips to help your child evaluate a story with the fun book, The most Magnificent Thing.