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| Empirical Investigations of Precision Teaching with Students and Adults with Autism |
| Monday, May 26, 2008 |
| 10:30 AM–11:50 AM |
| Continental C |
| Area: AUT/EDC; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Donna L. Sloan (Rutgers University, Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center) |
| Discussant: Richard M. Kubina Jr. (Pennsylvania State University) |
| CE Instructor: Marlene Cohen, Ed.D. |
| Abstract: In the field of applied behavior analysis, much focus is placed on the intense training needs of young children with autism. Many educators believe that adolescents and adults with autism are less likely to make significant strides than their younger counterparts. Precision Teaching with frequency building procedures is one method that holds promise as an efficient and effective means of instruction for younger and older learners. These papers represent pilot research that examines the effects of frequency building. This research also compares the effects of various procedural aspects of frequency-building procedures as well as begins to investigate the comparative effectiveness to other ABA techniques. |
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| The Effects of Precision Teaching with Frequency Building of Fine Motor Skills on the Performance of Functional Life Skills in Adolescents and Adults with Autism. |
| MARLENE COHEN (Rutgers University), Donna L. Sloan (Rutgers University, Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center), Lara M. Delmolino Gatley (Rutgers University) |
| Abstract: This paper will evaluate the effects of Precision Teaching with frequency building procedures on the functional use of fine motor skills in adolescents and adults with autism during activities of daily living. Further, this research explores whether instruction of component motor skills should end when minimum frequency aims are initially achieved, or if continuing instruction of component skills to higher frequencies of performance will yield greater, positive effects on performance of functional composite skills. Preliminary data will examine the impact of reaching higher frequencies on the stability of composite skill performance. |
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| The Effects of Precision Teaching with Frequency Building of Language Component Skills on the Performance of Language Composite Skills in Adolescents and Adults with Autism. |
| MARY SENS-AZARA AZARA (Rutgers University, Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center), Marlene Cohen (Rutgers University), Donna L. Sloan (Rutgers University, Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center) |
| Abstract: Precision Teaching with frequency building procedures is one method that holds promise as an efficient and effective means of instruction for older learners. The current research is proposed as an attempt to extend previous clinical demonstrations of the profound impact of Precision Teaching with frequency building procedures on the functional use of fine motor skills into the realm of language skill acquisition. Pilot research in this area has indicated results similar to those of previous fine motor skill studies when implementing frequency building of verbal language components. Preliminary results indicate the application to new, untaught skills and a cumulative effect of more rapid acquisition of related language skills. Using a multiple baseline design, this research continues to explore whether instruction of component motor skills should end when minimum frequency aims are initially achieved, or if continuing instruction of component skills to higher frequencies of performance will yield increased, positive effects on performance of language composite skills. The proposed research will examine the cumulative effect of frequency building of three component skills on performance of a single composite skill. |
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| Evaluating Maintenance in Skills Trained with and without Rate Building. |
| MARY JANE WEISS (Rutgers University), Meredith Bamond (Rutgers University) |
| Abstract: Retention is a frequently cited result of training skills to fluency. There is some evidence that skills taught with rate-building maintain well. In this paper, we will present additional data from retention checks on skills trained to fluency, through six month retention checks. The set of data includes skills taught to a variety of learners and across a variety of learning channels, and measures include rate, duration, and latency. However, it is not clear whether this maintenance results from rate-building or from practice itself. In other words, it may be the case that maintenance of skills trained to fluency is similar to the maintenance of skills taught via other intensive behavior analytic teaching strategies. We will also present some preliminary data on the maintenance of skills taught without rate-building. |
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