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Online Reading & Language Programs for Autism
We help students on the spectrum reach their academic potential through evidence-based cognitive training.
“Autistic children make the same errors in language and reading as higher functioning children, they just make more of them.” (Dr.Michael Merzenich, co-founder of Fast ForWord)
Cognitive Training Software for Autism
The underlying cognitive gaps that hinder reading and learning for children with autism are the same as those of neurotypical students and can be bridged using the same interventions.
Our primary intervention, Fast ForWord software, is a professionally supervised cognitive training and reading program that helps autistic students build essential skills such as auditory processing, attention, fluency, and comprehension for success at home and in school.
Because the software is structured and self-paced. meaning it adjusts to the student’s exact level in real-time, most children with autism find it engaging without frustration. In fact, many of our students on the spectrum love the exercises. Our goals are:
1. Strengthen Auditory Processing & Listening
Many children with ASD experience “muddiness” when listening to language—sounds blend together, making it difficult to follow directions or engage in conversation.
Our software provides targeted auditory processing activities for autism that use slowed-speech sequencing and sound discrimination exercises, adding speed and complexity at the student’s pace and “rewiring” the brain for faster, more accurate sound discrimination.
2. Improve Vocabulary and Language Comprehension
A subset of exercises in Fast ForWord acts as a home-based language therapy for autistic children. It focuses on the sounds of English, vocabulary, and language syntax to help children build a more complete understanding of language – both literal understanding and the nuances of language. The focus is on:
- Receptive Language: Helping children be less literal and better at understanding figurative language and inferences.
- Phonological Awareness: The building block for phonics, decoding, and reading fluency.
- Social Communication: Improving language processing efficiency frees up mental “bandwidth” for thinking about what is being said, recognizing social cues, and engaging in peer interaction.
3. Boost Attention Stamina
Our adaptive learning platform uses gamified exercises that target sustained attention and focus. It includes exercises that reward consecutive correct answers to build stamina, distractors that escalate and must be ignored, and exercises that unfold slowly, requiring impulse control.
4. Improve Reading and Comprehension
When language and cognitive skills are stronger, reading is more possible. Reading is fundamentally a language skill. To comprehend a story, a child must be able to:
- Decode the text automatically, with
- the vocabulary and language syntax understanding to parse the meaning.
The Fast ForWord reading programs work on spelling, sight words, left-to-right reading at pace, literal comprehension, and thinking while reading.
Gemm Learning provides Fast ForWord with wraparound support. Request a demo. We will send an overview video and a link to an interactive demo where you can try out all 50+ exercises.
“Where there was no reading progress last year before the program, our son has progressed significantly during this past school year. He is currently reading on grade level. Story recall and understanding directions were also significantly improved. We cannot say enough about Gemm Learning and the Fast ForWord program. …it has been a life-changing experience for our child, and we will be forever grateful.”
AutismReading
Jason
Age: 17
Location: Florida
Diagnosis: Autism, ADHD, Reading
Results
Gemm Learning was an important part of Jason’s routine for two years. He finds reading a lot easier, and boosted confidence have improved his social interactions and attitude to learning.
Fast ForWord Results for Autism
Fast ForWord is cognitive training software for autism that focuses not on the generalized ASD symptoms, but rather on language, learning, and reading skills. It helps ASD individuals because it is adaptive – patiently trying to move the child forward, but pulling back with consecutive errors – in tiny increments with a precision human teaching can’t replicate.
Importantly, the program exercises create an on-ramp for most children with autism using slowed speech sounds that stretch out the component sounds so that /part/ can clearly be heard as /p-a-r-t/, Once a child can make out those sounds at a slowed rate, the software speeds up, working towards the individual being able to decode the sounds at natural language speed.
Study Results
The study shown in this chart used multiple sites and is reported by Gig Poglitsch and Marci Melzer here. It found that children diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD-NOS) significantly improved their oral language skills after using the Fast ForWord Foundations I program.
Complete the form below to receive a 224-page research compendium on Fast ForWord.
How Our At-Home Intervention Works
We provide a structured, remote-supported environment that allows your child to learn comfortably at home.
1. Comprehensive Assessment
Initial Consultation
We start with a 1-on-1 consultation to make sure we can help, then a behavioral questionnaire and an optional reading assessment to identify your child’s specific cognitive gaps and to create a baseline.
2. Customized Protocol
All Students Start with Fast ForWord
There is an access point concern with some children with autism. However, recent changes to the software have slowed the speech and sound exercises even more, opening up the program starting point to more students. If your child can’t get started, we recommend waiting a few months and then trying again.
We create a personalized sequence of Fast ForWord exercises tailored to your child’s needs, starting with cognitive fundamentals and progressing to reading comprehension.
3. Remote Coaching
Support & Monitoring
You receive weekly progress reports and regular check-ins. If your child hits a plateau, our staff provides remote screen-sharing support to keep them on track.
4. Consistent Practice
30 Minutes/Day
We manage the protocols remotely; you create a routine where your child just logs in and starts. You’ll need ear-covering headphones, a computer or iPad, and Internet access. It’s 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week.
Is Gemm Learning Right for Your Child?
Every child is different, and not every child on the spectrum is able to get started on the Fast ForWord program, although most children over 5 years old can. Because it’s self-paced and children can work independently, it suits homeschooling for autistic children.
Find out if your child is a candidate for our program in a free 1-on-1 call.
“After losing interest in reading in 2nd grade, … he is reading for fun again! Your Fast ForWord program has worked with his brain to help retrain his pathways and improve his skill levels.”
“He has experienced dramatic gains in his oral language abilities … simply amazing results, with language scores increasing from what we consider to be low average for him (31st percentile two years ago) to now high average levels (86th percentile of peers his own age). We actually knew that his language skills were immediately improving during the Fast Forword program, but improvements were confirmed during more formal testing conducted privately.”
“We just wanted to thank you so much for the help you provided to our son, who is not only on the spectrum but also struggles with a learning disability.
Thanks to your program and your gentle, kind, and knowledgeable staff, our son began to reach his full potential in school, which not only greatly improved his grades but also ultimately led to his receiving an academic award at his elementary school graduation. Something we would have never dreamt possible before starting your program.
It was a privilege to connect with Gemm Learning, and we are proud to recommend your program to anyone with a child facing similar difficulties. Thank you so much.”
Can reading software really help children with autism?
Yes. Many children on the spectrum struggle with the same underlying cognitive barriers as neurotypical students, such as auditory processing delays or phonological awareness. We have had great success helping children with autism improve their reading. This is predicted by the science: Adaptive, neuroscience-based online reading programs for autism can “rewire” auditory processing pathways, strengthening the fundamentals needed for reading with fluency and comprehension.
Is Fast ForWord effective for non-verbal or minimally verbal autism?
Fast ForWord is most effective for students who can follow basic instructions and engage with screen-based activities. It helps students who are verbal but struggle with receptive language, auditory processing, or social communication. We recommend a consultation to determine if your child is at an appropriate developmental level to begin the program.
How does auditory processing disorder (APD) relate to autism?
Auditory processing issues are a common comorbidity in autism. Many children with ASD find speech sounds “muddy” or indistinct, which makes it exhausting to follow conversations or read fluently. Auditory processing activities for autism improve the brain’s efficiency at discriminating between sounds, reducing cognitive load and allowing children to focus more mental energy on social interaction and comprehension. More here
Can this program help with my child’s social skills?
Only indirectly. Our software improves language skills, which means your child can process and understand others in real time, giving them more time to respond. By making listening more efficient, the program has the potential to free up mental bandwidth during conversations, allowing people to observe body language and think about the nuances of what they are hearing.
However, the software does not directly target social interaction skills.
Efficacy of Our Program – Disclaimer
Behaviors and learning difficulties related to autism vary widely. Therefore, program outcomes and definitions of success vary widely. We work hard to set appropriate expectations during our consultation before you start the program.
That said, the anecdotal success of Fast ForWord for children on the spectrum is widespread. We have had some wonderful feedback from our families regarding results.
For years, I had watched my nephew, Sean, block his ears in my car when I turned on a book on CD. He would grab his personal CD player and turn up his music so he wouldn’t have to listen to the narration. “Auntie, I just don’t like it. It bothers my ears.”
Sean is diagnosed with Asperger’s. He has always been able to “read”, though comprehension has been a struggle for him. I recommended Fast ForWord to my sister as a supplementary reading program/intervention for Sean. After he completed his first module, my sister reported a noticeable change in his reading comprehension. I was thrilled. The program met my expectations.
The next time I picked my nephew up to visit his cousin, I had Harry Potter playing in the car. We were driving for 10 minutes before I realized he didn’t have his CD player with him. I had assumed that he was quietly suffering through my book, so I tried to switch to his favorite radio station. He stopped me and said, “Wait, Auntie, I want to see if Hermione gets mad at Ron.”
I nearly drove off the road. He wasn’t just listening to the story. He was actively engaged. Once I had recovered my composure, I asked him if he liked listening to the book. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “Yup, it doesn’t bother me anymore.” It was such a simple statement, but it brought tears to my eyes. For years, he couldn’t enjoy listening to a story because he could not follow along.
I have witnessed hundreds of Fast ForWord success stories in my tenure at Gemm Learning. It was exhilarating to be a part of one.