Association for Behavior Analysis International

Children with autism often present unique learning challenges. Given the emphasis on individualized assessment and instruction, and data based decision making, behavior analysts are especially well-suited to address learning issues. Likewise, the use of single subject designs permit behavior analysts to experimentally evaluate individualized interventions to demonstrate functional relations or compare different interventions. This symposium reviews two studies that were conducted in an applied setting that identify variables that affected learning. The first study compared the effectives of two prompting modalities (tact and echoic) to determine which was a more effective procedure for teaching intraverbal behavior to two children with autism. The second study evaluates the effects of choice versus no choice of potential reinforcers and the relative effects on students responding during educational activities. Implications of programming for students with autism, including antecedent manipulations and consequence-based strategies, will be discussed. Additionally, the utility of comparative analyses and the application single subject designs in applied settings will be reviewed.

Researchers have examined whether choice is a reinforcer, i.e., evaluating whether choosing a consequence will result in a greater increase in behavior than the same consequences being delivered without being chosen. However, previous research has used methodology that may limit the identification of choice as a reinforcer (e.g., yoked schedules, choosing from identical items). The current study examines the effect of choice or no choice of potential reinforcers on performance of educational responses of three students with disabilities and avoids the challenges associated with using yoked schedules of reinforcement or choosing from identical options. Thus the current study provides additional refinements in the analysis of choice as a reinforcer by examining rates of responding when participants have the opportunity to choose an item or not, contingent on responding. Results will identify if there is a difference in responding to an educationally relevant task when choice is available or not and if participants demonstrate a preference for choice or no-choice conditions. The relevance of choice in clinical and educational context will be discussed. Recommendations for future research will also be presented.