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.

Sharing books is a great way to build your child’s language and early literacy skills. But what if your child doesn’t seem interested in books or doesn’t pay attention for long? If this sounds like your child, you might need to experiment with different kinds of books to see what catches your child’s interest. Here are some ideas to try!

Reading with your autistic child helps to build both their early literacy skills and communication skills. But did you know that the way you read with your child can make a big difference? Use these fun, simple tips to make the most of book reading to encourage your child to interact and learn.

When you read with your child, how much attention do they pay to the words on the page? Do they realise that the written words play an important role in telling the story? Part of supporting your child’s early literacy is helping them understand that print has meaning. Use these tips to build your child’s awareness of print and lay an important foundation for reading and writing.

If your child is preschool aged (3-5), there's so much you can do during your everyday conversations to boost her language learning and to prepare her for school success. Learn how you can use the Hanen “E’s and Ps” strategy on your next outdoor walk to make your conversations more interesting and more impactful for your child.