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| Early Verbal Capabilities |
| Sunday, May 27, 2007 |
| 9:00 AM–10:20 AM |
| Elizabeth C |
| Area: VRB; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Dolleen-Day Keohane (Columbia University Teachers College & CABAS) |
| Abstract: Observing responses associated with the sequential acquisition of early verbal capabilities appear to be related to the discrimination and development of certain aspects of language. Conditioned reinforcement for listening to voices, stories and various genres of music as well as looking at stimuli, text and books may be prerequisites for the development of observing responses across listener, listener-speaker, speaker-as-own-listener and visual sensory modalities. |
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| Conditioned Reinforcement for Observing Visual Stimuli and the Capability of Matching across the Senses and the Acquisition of Early Verbal Capabilities. |
| DR. SHIRA A. ACKERMAN (Columbia University Teachers College), Dolleen-Day Keohane (Columbia University Teachers College), R. Douglas Greer (Columbia University Teachers College and Graduate School), Janet C. Solorzano-Correia (Columbia University Teachers College) |
| Abstract: The purpose of this study was to test whether a sequential approach to conditioned reinforcement for observing visual stimuli and the capability of matching across the senses was related to early language acquisition. The 6 participants were three to six years old and diagnosed with autism or a communication disability.
Prior to the onset of the study, the students did not attend to 3-D objects or other visual stimuli within their environment.
A multiple probe design across participants and behaviors was used.
Additionally, a counterbalanced treatment design was used, in which three of the participants received the visual tracking protocol first followed by the sensory matching protocol and three participants received the sensory matching protocol before the visual tracking protocol. As a result the students’ attention to stimuli within their environment and early language acquisition increased significantly. |
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| Conditioning Two-Dimensional Stimuli to Induce Visual Tracking and the Effects on Two-Dimensional Match-to-Sample Responding in Preschoolers. |
| ANANYA GOSWAMI (Columbia University Teachers College), R. Douglas Greer (Columbia University Teachers College and Graduate School), JoAnn Delgado (Fred S. Keller School), Dolleen-Day Keohane (Columbia University Teachers College), Jeanne Marie Speckman (Fred S. Keller School) |
| Abstract: We tested the effects of a stimulus conditioning procedure for two-dimensional stimuli on the rate of acquisition of match to sample responses for five preschoolers with disabilities. The participants were between the ages of 3 and 5 years and attended a special education center-based CABAS preschool. They were chosen to participate in this study due to high ratios of learn units to criterion for two-dimensional match to sample tasks. The independent variable was a conditioning procedure during which stimuli with reinforcement value were paired with the activity of looking at pages containing various pictures and symbols for specific intervals of time. The dependent variables were 1) the number of seconds participants' maintained eye contact with the pictures and symbols on the presented pages and 2) the ratio of learn units to criterion for, or the rate of acquisition of two-dimensional match to sample tasks. Time lagged multiple probe designs were employed for two groups of participants across two different school campuses. Results showed a functional relation between the conditioning procedure and 1) increased time engaged in looking at pictures and symbols on the presented pages and 2) decreased ratios of learn units to criterion for two- dimensional match to sample tasks for all participants. |
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| The Effect of an Intensive Tact Procedure in a Structured Setting and Increases in the Speaker Repertoire of Children on the Autistic Spectrum in Unstructured Settings. |
| EMMA L. HAWKINS (The Jigsaw School, England), Grant Gautreaux (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology), Elizabeth Theo (The Jigsaw School, England), Jackie Charnock (The Jigsaw School, England) |
| Abstract: The effect of a treatment package in a structured setting, that included increasing tact repertoires and targeting wh-questions and captured conversational units was tested as related to the emergent speaker behaviour of seven children on the Autistic Spectrum in the unstructured setting. The children were taught new tacts across the themes of everyday items, the senses, hobbies and interests and topics related to the school term. They were required to emit at least 100 tacts per day. Establishing operations were created to evoke wh-questions and conversational learn units. All children emitted significantly more tacts, conversational units and wh-questions in the unstructured setting post-treatment. |
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| A Sequential Approach to Early Verbal Developmental Capabilities and the Observing Responses Associated with Certain Aspects of Language. |
| DOLLEEN-DAY KEOHANE (Columbia University Teachers College), R. Douglas Greer (Columbia University Teachers College and Graduate School), JoAnn Delgado (Fred S. Keller School) |
| Abstract: Observing responses associated with listening as a developmental capability appear to be sequentially related to the discrimination and early acquisition of certain aspects of language. Conditioned reinforcement for listening to voices, sounds and words, stories, and various genres of music, as well as, visual stimuli, textural stimuli and looking at books with pictures and text may be prerequisites for the development of observing responses across listener, listener-speaker, speaker-as-own-listener and visual sensory modalities. |
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