# The Efficacy of a Visualizing Reading Intervention on Improving the Brain's Reading Network in Children with Autism

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2022 · $553,703

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 The overarching goal of this proposal is to test the impact of a comprehensive reading intervention program
on changing the neurobiological mechanisms underlying reading comprehension deficits in children with
autism spectrum disorders (ASD). There is evidence that as many as 65% of children with ASD have a deficit
in reading comprehension. This ultimately has profound impact on language, learning, and academic success
(Nation, Clarke, Wright, & Williams, 2006). Poor reading comprehension in children with autism is often
masked by their relative strength in decoding. Moreover, reading comprehension in general is not well-
understood, and as a result, current treatments are limited in its potential and in its effectiveness. In this
project, we will test a group of children with ASD and NT control participants who share common characteristic
of average level decoding along with below average reading comprehension. We also have included an
additional NT group without any reading comprehension deficits, and this group will serve as another control
for additional comparisons. We will test the efficacy of an intensive reading intervention training program,
visualizing and verbalizing for language comprehension and thinking (V/V), and its effects on changing the
brain circuitry underlying reading comprehension in children with ASD. The project will use multimodal
neuroimaging with task-based functional MRI, resting state functional MRI, diffusion imaging, and
neuropsychological testing. It should be noted that neuroimaging as well as behavioral studies of language in
autism have largely ignored a subgroup of children with comprehension deficits. The proposed project
addresses this critical gap by targeting brain plasticity in children with ASD (age: 7-13 years). Average
decoding ability with below average comprehension of language in children is an important problem of
academic and public health significance. The outcome of this study will throw more light on this important
subgroup of children. In addition, it will test the efficacy of an intervention that can, in the long-run, help NT and
disabled children with reading problems to achieve academic success. Findings may provide important
preliminary steps in using V/V intervention in schools.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11124981
- **Project number:** 7R01DC016303-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Rajesh K Kana
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $553,703
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11124981

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11124981, The Efficacy of a Visualizing Reading Intervention on Improving the Brain's Reading Network in Children with Autism (7R01DC016303-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11124981. Licensed CC0.

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