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| The Key to Learning and Maintaining Skills for Children Diagnosed With Autism |
| Sunday, May 30, 2010 |
| 4:30 PM–5:50 PM |
| 202AB (CC) |
| Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Chair: Junelyn Lazo (Center for Behavioral Sciences, Inc.) |
| Discussant: Joyce C. Tu (Center for Behavioral Sciences, Inc.) |
| Abstract: Children with developmental disabilities such as autism typically receive intensive behavioral intervention in home-based settings. Home-based settings may limit the generalization of skills unless otherwise programmed into the intervention plan. A review of the generalization literature will be presented and discussed. As such, the overall purpose of the three papers in this symposium is to examine the learning and maintenance of skills during more functional-based teaching. All the participants were in a 1:1 ratio receiving a minimum of ten hours per week of intensive services. In addition, all of the participants demonstrated either a difficulty in mastering skills taught in a typical tabletop format with minimal distractions or they had difficulty generalizing the learned skills across natural environments. The three papers compared rates of learning object identification during a discrete trial format with minimal distractions versus a more functional based approach, examined the effectiveness routine community outings, and studied the critical components for a successful social stories intervention for children with autism. |
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| Creating an Establishing Operation to Teach Receptive Object Labeling |
| JUNELYN LAZO (Center for Behavioral Sciences, Inc.), Johanna F. Lorca (Center for Behavioral Sciences, Inc.) |
| Abstract: Children with developmental disabilities such as autism typically receive intensive behavioral intervention in home-based settings. Lessons are often taught during tabletop activities with a minimal number of distractions in the environment (Cowan & Allen, 2007). Studies have shown this teaching technique is effective. However, the authors of this study have found that in practice, for some children with autism, the rate of learning with this methodology could be relatively low. This is supported by McGee, Almeida, Sulzer-Azaroff, & Feldman, (1992) who found that treatment gains observed in the controlled clinic setting seldom carried over to novel situations, people, or tasks. Thus, the purpose of our paper is to compare the acquisition of receptive object labeling in a typical discrete trial, tabletop format with minimal distractions versus a more functional-based teaching. During the functional-based teaching, the authors created establishing operations for target objects. For example, if the child was thirsty and the drink was within sight, the child would point to, or give cup in order to receive the drink. Data show that the participants acquired the skill of receptive object labeling during the functional based teaching when compared to baseline (i.e., tabletop format). For participant 1, he averaged 31% during baseline and averaged 85% during intervention. For participant 2, he averaged 57% during baseline and averaged 75% during intervention. For participant 3, he averaged 48% during baseline and during intervention he averaged 79%. For those children with autism where learning through a tabletop format may prove minimally effective, creating a more functional based learning by using establishing operations can be an effective intervention. |
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| Teaching Functional Skills to Children With Autism During Community Outings |
| JOHANNA F. LORCA (Center for Behavioral Sciences, Inc.) |
| Abstract: Generalization of the skills should always be the focus of any successful program. In the current study, skills were first taught to three children with autism in a typical tabletop format with minimal distractions. These skills were then generalized in functional settings, such as during community outings. Techniques such as programming common stimuli, introducing natural maintaining conditions, and training loosely were implemented. The data show that all three participants benefited from sessions conducted during community outings. Skills from at least six response classes, such as, mand, intraverbal, manded selection responses, and intraverbal functions/features/classes were targeted during each community outing. Each participant gained at least three new skills per week when: (1) only one trial were presented per day, (2) when skills were taught in a new environment with natural reinforcers, and (3) novel materials and instructions were presented. Furthermore, skills were generalized to at least two new settings without additional training. |
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| Generalization: A Brief Review of the Key to Learning and Maintaining Skills for Children Diagnosed With Autism |
| JOYCE C. TU (Center for Behavioral Sciences, Inc.) |
| Abstract: Children with developmental disabilities such as autism typically receive intensive behavioral intervention in home-based settings. Home-based settings may limit the generalization of skills unless otherwise programmed into the intervention plan. A review of the generalization literature will be presented and discussed. As such, the overall purpose of the three papers in this symposium is to examine the learning and maintenance of skills during more functional-based teaching. All the participants were in a 1:1 ratio receiving a minimum of ten hours per week of intensive services. In addition, all of the participants demonstrated either a difficulty in mastering skills taught in a typical tabletop format with minimal distractions or they had difficulty generalizing the learned skills across natural environments. The three papers compared rates of learning object identification during a discrete trial format with minimal distractions versus a more functional based approach, examined the effectiveness routine community outings, and studied the critical components for a successful social stories intervention for children with autism. |
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