Yes, getting better at literacy can improve speech and language. Reading and writing grow vocabulary, sentences and sound awareness, and written words give kids another way to communicate. At EASI we see literacy as communication, not a separate subject. Learning to read comes as a happy result of using words for something that matters to the child.
That idea changes what literacy looks like in a speech room. Let's look at why it works and what you can try this week.
Spoken and written language grow together
Speech and print are not two separate tracks. ASHA's position statement on reading and writing describes spoken and written language as having a reciprocal relationship, where each one builds on the other (ASHA, 2001). It also says SLPs play a critical and direct role in literacy for kids with communication disorders, including kids with severe or multiple disabilities.
The research lines up with that. Children who start school with language impairment are at higher risk for later reading problems (Catts et al., 2002). And reviews of reading difficulties keep coming back to the same point: oral language is the foundation that reading stands on (Snowling & Hulme, 2021). The good news runs the other way too. Once kids are reading, print becomes a rich new source of words and sentence patterns that feed back into their talking (Nation, 2017).
Sound awareness and clearer speech
Phonological awareness is the ability to notice and play with the sounds in words: rhyming, clapping syllables, finding the first sound, blending sounds into a word. It is a bridge between speech and print.
In one well known study, children with speech and language difficulties who received phonological awareness intervention made bigger gains in sound awareness and reading than children in other therapy, and their speech articulation also improved (Gillon, 2000). Another study found that preschoolers with speech sound delays who practiced listening for sounds, matching letters to sounds and matching onsets and rimes showed greater gains in articulation accuracy than a comparison group (Rvachew et al., 2004).
So when you pair a target sound with the letter that spells it, you are not "doing reading instead of speech." You are giving the child one more way to see, hear and hold onto that sound.
Print grows vocabulary and sentences
Written words stick around. Spoken words disappear the moment they are said. Lois has put it simply for families: spoken words go away immediately, while written words remain (Autism Digest).
Research backs this up. Children learned new vocabulary words better when they saw the spelling while learning them (Rosenthal & Ehri, 2008). Interactive book reading, where the adult asks questions and invites the child to talk about the story, is linked with gains in both oral language and print knowledge (Mol et al., 2009).
Written words for AAC users and autistic kids
For kids who use AAC, literacy is the key that opens up every word, not just the ones someone put on a board. Researchers who study complex communication needs call literacy essential for full participation in school, work and life (Light & McNaughton, 2012). Worried that AAC or text will slow down speech? A research review found no evidence that AAC intervention reduced speech, and most participants in the strongest studies showed some gains in speech (Millar et al., 2006).
Many autistic kids are strong visual learners. Clear written words, paired with real pictures, can be easier to understand than abstract icons. Autism Digest's piece Can You See It? makes the case for using written words to represent abstract ideas, and points to Stephen Krashen's idea that language input needs to be both compelling and comprehensible.
New research is encouraging too. A 2026 study using national survey data found that autistic children ages two to five who were read to more often at home had higher expressive and receptive language skills (Pecukonis & Geffin, 2026). That study shows a link, not cause and effect, but it fits what many families see.
Practical tips for SLPs
- Start with what they love. Teacher and literacy specialist Gabriel Hannans suggests a reading interest inventory: find what a child is into and find text about it (Autism Digest).
- Use everyday text. Food labels, recipes, menus and movie subtitles are all reading. Turn on captions.
- Model reading. Read with and around kids so they can see what reading looks like and copy it.
- Write it down. Keep a word wall. When a child says or selects a word, write it where everyone can see it and use it again.
- Pair pictures WITH words. Use clear, literal photos labeled with the written word, and let the child help take the photo and write the label.
- Link sounds to letters. When you practice a speech sound, show the letter or letters that spell it.
- Read together and talk. Ask open questions during books and expand what the child says.
- Give AAC users a keyboard. Alongside core words, give access to letters so they can say anything.
Where EASI fits
EASI includes Lightspeed Literacy, a lesson and drill curriculum modeled after the Orton-Gillingham approach. Lightspeed Literacy tracks progress for each client. EASI also covers reports, progress reports, therapy notes, lesson planning, talking core boards in English and Spanish, the SETT framework and MySLP, which is included. EASI drafts and you review and decide. You stay in charge of every clinical choice.
Want the research in more depth? Read our white paper, Literacy as Communication: A Guide for SLPs. Comparing tools for your caseload? See EASI vs SALT: Which Tool Fits Your SLP Work.
EASI is available through Northern Speech Services: northernspeech.com/f7e0
FAQ
Can working on reading really help a child's speech? It can. In one study, children with speech and language needs who had phonological awareness intervention improved their speech articulation as well as their reading (Gillon, 2000).
Should I wait until a child is talking before working on literacy? No. Literacy is communication, so it can start alongside speech. ASHA (2001) describes spoken and written language as building on each other.
Will AAC or written words stop a child from talking? Research does not support that worry. A review found no decrease in speech after AAC intervention, and most participants in the strongest studies showed gains (Millar et al., 2006).
What literacy activities work for autistic kids? Start with the child's interests, read together, pair clear pictures with written words, keep a word wall and turn on captions. Everyday text like labels and recipes counts as reading.
Does EASI include literacy materials? Yes. EASI includes Lightspeed Literacy, a literacy lesson and drill curriculum that tracks progress for each client. You review the data and make the clinical decisions.
References
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2001). Roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists with respect to reading and writing in children and adolescents [Position statement]. https://www.asha.org/policy/PS2001-00104/
- Catts, H. W., Fey, M. E., Tomblin, J. B., & Zhang, X. (2002). A longitudinal investigation of reading outcomes in children with language impairments. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 45(6), 1142–1157. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2002/093)
- Gillon, G. T. (2000). The efficacy of phonological awareness intervention for children with spoken language impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 31(2), 126–141. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461.3102.126
- Light, J., & McNaughton, D. (2012). Supporting the communication, language, and literacy development of children with complex communication needs: State of the science and future research priorities. Assistive Technology, 24(1), 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2011.648717
- Millar, D. C., Light, J. C., & Schlosser, R. W. (2006). The impact of augmentative and alternative communication intervention on the speech production of individuals with developmental disabilities: A research review. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49(2), 248–264. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2006/021)
- Mol, S. E., Bus, A. G., & de Jong, M. T. (2009). Interactive book reading in early education: A tool to stimulate print knowledge as well as oral language. Review of Educational Research, 79(2), 979–1007. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654309332561
- Nation, K. (2017). Nurturing a lexical legacy: Reading experience is critical for the development of word reading skill. npj Science of Learning, 2, 3. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-017-0004-7
- Pecukonis, M., & Geffin, A. (2026). Socioeconomic status and quantity of shared book reading, but not screen time, are positively associated with language skills in a nationally representative sample of autistic children. Autism Research, 19(9). https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70321
- Rosenthal, J., & Ehri, L. C. (2008). The mnemonic value of orthography for vocabulary learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(1), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.100.1.175
- Rvachew, S., Nowak, M., & Cloutier, G. (2004). Effect of phonemic perception training on the speech production and phonological awareness skills of children with expressive phonological delay. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 13(3), 250–263. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2004/026)
- Snowling, M. J., & Hulme, C. (2021). Annual research review: Reading disorders revisited – the critical importance of oral language. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(5), 635–653. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13324