Children with developmental disabilities may experience difficulties in the early stages of learning to write, with some failing to become fluent writers over the longer term. In this presentation, Dr Ben Bailey will discuss recent findings on evidence-based writing instruction for Autistic children focusing on early spelling, handwriting and typing skills (transcription). The presentation will also introduce a new research project which aims to develop an early transcription skills program specifically for Autistic children (Start Write) in collaboration with Dr Karen Ray and members of the Autistic community, including Autistic adolescents, parents of Autistic children, educators and allied health professionals.

Dr Ben Bailey is a certified practicing speech pathologist and research academic from the University of Newcastle. His research focuses on supporting children’s communication development, including language, reading, writing and skills play, and community participation through innovative, co-designed interdisciplinary practice. By exploring the opportunities of interdisciplinary practice in this way, Dr Bailey’s research aims to identify acceptable supports with meaningful impact on children’s communication and broader life outcomes.