First let me say that I'm a teacher, and I also help out in my daughter's 1st grade class during reading/writing work times.

It is not accurate to say that a first grader "should" be reading chapter books such as Magic Treehouse. Some do, but many do not. Take a look at the back of the MT books - they usually have a reading level on the back, and most of them are 2nd grade level, and a few are even 3rd grade level. (2.2 means: 2nd grade, 2nd month of the school year)

Furthermore, by saying that he "should" be reading one thing or another, the teacher is ignoring where his ability actually is.

However, it does sound like he probably is behind 1st grade level if he struggles with Level 1 readers. I think you're right to be concerned and I think you should pursue this to make sure the school is helping him. Reading is a foundation for his entire school experience, and it's important to help him now rather than pushing it off for another year.

With a diagnosis of ADHD and autism your son should have an IEP and an intervention specialist. If he does have an IEP, have you talked with the intervention specialist about your concerns? If he doesn't have an IEP, the first thing you need to do is let the school know that you have concerns about his ability to access the curriculum and you would like to have him evaluated.

http://www.wrightslaw.com/ is a fabulous resource, and the book "Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy - The Special Education Survival Guide" is the BEST book I have read on getting what your child needs from the school.

Another piece, regarding his reading aloud to you...If you haven't already, give him direct instruction about what commas, periods, exclamation marks, question marks do and sound like. A comma means you take a short break (demonstrate), a period means you take a longer break (demonstrate). An exclamation mark means it's excited (demonstrate). Demonstrate the difference in how a question and a statement sound. Don't forget to explain that quotation marks show that someone is talking, and the words inside the quotation marks are the words that the person said. He will probably need a lot of practice and reminders about taking pauses after commas and periods - my daughter did.

If he isn't receptive to practicing, he might like it if he gets to correct YOU while you read to him. Read a book to him, deliberately rushing through commas and periods. He gets to tell you you're wrong, which many kids love to do!

The classroom teacher may not have explicitly taught these aspects of written language.

Another thing that just came to mind is that it's still important to read TO your child even though they're beginning to read independently. Children can understand more challenging books that are read to them. It is also good to:
--point to the words as you read them
--point to relevant illustrations as you say the word
--model looking at the book title for clues about what the book is about ("Oh, The Magic Bunny. What do you think this book is about?"), and later, chapter titles for clues about the chapter
--model looking at illustrations to help figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words ("Hmm, I see a glove, a coat, and a hat in the picture. What do you think that word might be? It starts with a 'c'...Does 'hat' start with a c? Does 'glove' start with a c? That's right, 'coat' starts with a c, let's see if that make sense in the sentence")

Also, I would use the five-finger rule with him. When he has a new book to read, have him open the book to a page in the middle and start reading. Each time he gets to a word he doesn't know, he holds up a finger. If he gets to five fingers before finishing the page, the book is too hard and he should try a different book.

The school needs to do real (meaning objective) assessments of his reading ability and not solely base the IEP on classroom observations and teacher reports. By first grade there are plenty of tests that can be conducted to evaluate his written language skills and his reading comprehension. You have a right to request (and expect) that if it hasn't been done. There are multiple tests that can be used to evaluate his current skills. (But watch out, they may try to mislead you on the significance of the test results - so be prepared to figure out what the results mean from your own support people, not just based on what the school tells you.)

I also suggest contacting whoever diagnosed your son. If it wasn't a specialist who diagnoses nothing but autism, get a referral to go to one. At best your son's school seems to be less than knowledgable, at worst they might be trying to steer you away from the services he needs. It is very helpful if you can get your own assessments done from people who do nothing but assess children with autism.

The best and most detailed assessments my daughter have gotten were from Ohio State University's autism center. A large center, attached to a university or a MAJOR children's hospital, sees hundreds or thousands of autism cases a year and are much more knowledgable and experienced. They have a team of specialists who will do a battery of tests to explore every area of suspected impairment, and they will tell you exactly where he's performing in each academic area. That kind of unbiased, 3rd party assessment is vital, both to give you an unbiased opinion on how your son is doing and also in getting him the services he needs. OSU's Nisonger Center gave us a detailed report on my daughter's disabilities and also suggestions on how to help her. We were able to take back that back to the IEP team and get a much better IEP as a result.

Right now, check out the Wrights Law website I referenced above http://www.wrightslaw.com/ . Then either get the book "Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy - The Special Education Survival Guide" from your library or go out and buy a copy. It's worth its weight in gold and it will help you advocate for your son on this issue.

Lots and lots of great advice. Make certain the school assesses your son in "all areas of suspected disability." If you don't agree with the assessments (don't be intimidated!) ask for private sector assessments. Also make certain IEP goals state objective measurement data, not teacher observation or notes. Suggest Wrightslaw From Emotions to Advoocacy that provide extremely detailed information. New diagnosis and all that comes with it can be overwhelming - slow down and review info several times - STUDY the information. My now son was doing "great" in reading at age 5 and reportedly still is, even though he remains at the 2nd grade level at 11 years old. It's a tactic some teachers/administrators (NOT all, but too many) use to distract from the truth. Wishing you well...

It's pretty easy to be overwhelmed and frustrated with the alleged experts. Reading issues within ASD is common. Don't fret - advocate. It's going to take alot of time and relentless dedication to navigate through the gooeyness of special education. It's legal; it was created to be that way. You may wish to find a SpecEd advocate (get references, too) to help. Follow your instincts and don't give into the grief for extended periods of time. Wishing you well...