|
| Int'l Symposium - Relational Frame Theory and Education for Children with Autism |
| Monday, May 30, 2005 |
| 1:30 PM–2:50 PM |
| Private Dining Room 2 (3rd floor) |
| Area: EDC; Domain: Basic Research |
| Chair: Carol Murphy-Ball (National University of Ireland, Maynooth) |
| Abstract: The symposium deals with issues relevant to education for children diagnosed with autism. The first paper examines derived transfer of more/less mand functions in accordance with trained conditional discriminations with 3 children diagnosed with autism. The aim of the second study was to examine the effects of generalized versus differential consequential control across mands and tacts with 3 children diagnosed with autism. This is followed by a paper that attempts to identify key relational frames involved in effective negotiation with 30 children aged between 3 and 5 years. Finally, skills involved in symmetrical relations between name-item and item-name with preschool children are examined. |
| |
| Derived Transfer of More/Less Relational Mand Response Functions in 3 Children Diagnosed with Autism |
| CAROL MURPHY-BALL (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Yvonne Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth) |
| Abstract: The current research examined derived more/less relations with three children with autism. The experimental procedure commenced with a matching-to-sample procedure, and participants were trained to select ‘more’ in the presence of arbitrary stimulus A1 and to select ‘less’ in the presence of stimulus A2. Subsequently, conditional discriminations were trained with the A stimuli and other arbitrary stimuli, as follows: A1-B1, A2-B2, B1-C1, B2-C2. Finally, a test was conducted to determine if the students derived more/less relations in accordance with the trained conditional discriminations. That is, they were required to present C1 to mand for ‘more’ and C2 to mand for ‘less’. The criterion for a successful derived transfer of more/less response functions (A1-C1, A2-C2) was 20 correct responses. Implications arising from the data for language training with autistic populations will be discussed. |
| |
| Comparing the Acquisition of Mands and Tacts with Generalized Reinforcement, and Tacts with Differential Reinforcement |
| CLAIRE E. EGAN (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Yvonne Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth) |
| Abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of generalized versus differential consequential control across mand and tacts. The study compared the acquisition of mands and tacts with generalized versus differential reinforcement. In Experiment 1, 3 participants were trained to mand or tact using arbitrary timui. During mand training, participants were taught to present the arbitrary stimulus as a mand for a particular coloured token. During tacts (with generalized reinforcement) participants identified the arbitrary stimulus when presented with particular coloured tokens. Correct responses were reinforced with colour specific tokens. Each participant was taught across ech condition, which was counterbalanced. The number of trials to acquire the response in each condition was compared across participants. Results showed that 2/3 participants had the highest numbers of trials to criterion during the tacts with generalized reinforcement condition. Experiment 2 replicated the procedures of Exeriment 1, except that a second differential reinforcement condition was added. The first differential reinforcement condition used tokens that were the same colour as the antecedent tokens, while the second used different colours. Follow-up performances on each condition were evaluated. |
| |
| Teaching Negotiation Skills to Young Children |
| CAROLYN SWEENEY (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth) |
| Abstract: The relation frame theory account of human language as derived relational responding provides the perspective for an investigation of the negotiation activities of young children in a classroom context. Thirty children from mainstream schools participated in the study. All of the participants were aged between three and five years of age. This paper attempts to identify key relational frames involved in effective negotiation. The participants received training using deictic frames, possession functions and comparative functions and the effect on negotiation outcomes were assessed. The findings are discussed in the context of RFT and directions for future research are considered. |
| |
| Derived Naming and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| JOHN D. MCELWEE (N/a) |
| Abstract: Derived naming refers to the symmetrical relation between a heard word for an item (name-item) and the spoken word for an item (item name). The skill to tact items after hearing their names without direct training is viewed as a key to the explosion of language in young children. The present paper investigated this skill with preschool children with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. All participants had components skills of listening, tacting and echoics. If derived naming was found to be absent, a multiple-exemplar training regime was employed to establish the skill. |
|
| |