Abstract
Reading for meaning is essential for academic success, yet many autistic students experience difficulties comprehending written texts. Existing models of reading comprehension are largely based on non-autistic populations, with limited research examining their applicability to autistic learners. This study investigated whether the Direct and Indirect Effects Model of Reading (DIER) applies to autistic primary school students by examining associations between DIER component skills and reading comprehension, and by identifying predictors of comprehension outcomes. Sixty-nine autistic students in Australian primary schools completed assessments of domain-general cognition, word reading, listening comprehension (including foundational oral language and higher-order cognitive skills), text reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Reading comprehension was significantly associated with multiple DIER components. Non-verbal IQ, text reading fluency, and listening comprehension (including story comprehension, grammar, and perspective taking) together accounted for 60.1% of the variance in reading comprehension, with grammar emerging as a significant individual predictor. These findings suggest that the DIER may be applicable to autistic students, although the relative contribution of component skills may differ from patterns observed in non-autistic populations. This study extends the DIER to a more diverse group of learners and provides insight into sources of reading comprehension difficulty to inform targeted support for autistic students.