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Recent Research on Skill Acquisition in Children with Autism |
Monday, May 25, 2015 |
2:00 PM–3:50 PM |
Grand Ballroom C1 (CC) |
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Research |
Chair: Erin Richard White (Alpine Learning Group) |
Discussant: Amanda Karsten (Western New England University) |
CE Instructor: Erin Richard White, M.A. |
Abstract: This symposium will be comprised of four data-based presentations that describe innovative research on teaching skills to children with autism. The first study investigated the use of a procedure to decrease the inappropriate echolalia of the echoic prompt “say.” A pause was introduced between the say prompt and the echoic prompt and then systematically shortened in duration. Appropriate echoic responding increased for all participants following the pause procedure. The second presentation compared three procedures (i.e., vocal imitation training, stimulus-stimulus pairing, mand-model procedures) for establishing echoic repertoires. The results suggested that the most effective teaching procedure may differ across participants. The third study evaluated the eight-step prompting sequence outlined by Horner and Keilitz (1975) to teach self-case skills. They then investigated whether delivery of reinforcement for correct responses following general prompts increased the likelihood of prompt dependency. The results were idiosyncratic across participants. The final paper evaluated the effects of a 2-component monitoring response plus a prompting procedure on the differential motor imitation responses of two children with autism. The participants learned to imitate the model’s response only during trials in which a high-preference item was delivered to the model. |
Keyword(s): Echoic, Echolalia, Observational Learning, Prompting |
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Use of a Pause Procedure to Teach Appropriate Echoic Responding Following the Instruction, “Say” |
ANDRESA A. DE SOUZA (University of Nebraska Medical Center), Nicole M. Rodriguez (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Megan Ashley Levesque (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Jessica Niemeier (UNMC Munroe- Meyer Institute), Michelle Ocen (Center for Autism and Neuro-developmental Disabilities of Southern California, UC Irvine Medical Center) |
Abstract: Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often engage in indiscriminate echoic responding such as echolalia of the instruction “say” when prompted to repeat a word or phrase. Despite the prevalence of echolalia in ASD and its potential to interfere with the acquisition of functional language, few studies have addressed echolalia of instructions during language training (Ingvarsson, 2011; Kodak, 2012; Valentino, Shillingsburg, Conine, Powell, 2012). In the present study, we used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline to evaluate a procedure in which a pause was introduced between the say prompt and the echoic prompt and then systematically shortened in duration on inappropriate echolalia of the word “say” and appropriate echolalia of the echoic prompt. Three children diagnosed with an ASD and one diagnosed with Unspecified Adjustment Reaction Disorder participated. For all participants, zero or near-zero levels of correct responding were observed during baseline in which there was differential reinforcement for correct echoic responding but no pause. Appropriate echoic responding increased for all participants following the pause procedure, although some participants required an additional blackout procedure to produce desirable outcomes. Appropriate echoic responding maintained across new words, therapists, and settings. |
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A Systematic Comparison of Commonly Used Echoic Teaching Procedures |
CATIA CIVIDINI-MOTTA CIVIDINI (New England Center for Children), Nicole Scharrer (The New England Center for Children), William H. Ahearn (New England Center for Children) |
Abstract: There is limited investigation of procedures for establishing echoic responses. In this presentation we will be reviewing data from treatment comparisons of various iterations of vocal imitation training, stimulus-stimulus pairing, and mand-model procedures. Preference assessments were conducted to identify highly preferred items, including edibles and tangible items. At least two sets of three target sounds were then selected for each participant. Data were collected on target vocalizations emitted during training sessions and during play sessions completed prior to and after training sessions. These data, in addition to the participants’ performance during probes assessing the function of their vocalizations, were compared to assess the efficacy of each teaching procedure. Interobserver agreement data were collected on over 33% of all sessions above and have averaged above 90% agreement. The results suggested that the most effective teaching procedure may differ across participants. In addition, data indicated that the mand-model procedure may be more likely to be effective when prompts are provided for both errors of commission and omission. Finally, data from the first few comparisons showed that play sessions completed prior to and post-training sessions may be unnecessary, at least in cases when establishing echoic responses is the priority. |
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A Systematic Replication of the Horner & Keilitz Prompting Sequence |
CATHERINE B SIMMS (University of Florida), Jonathan K Fernand (University of Florida), Sarah K. Slocum (University of Florida), Christopher Rubow (University of Florida), Timothy R. Vollmer (University of Florida) |
Abstract: Horner and Keilitz (1975) used an eight-step prompting sequence to teach the self-care skill of tooth brushing to eight individuals with intellectual disabilities. The Horner and Keilitz study included responding to a “general” prompt and independent responding within the chaining task as “correct” responding. It is possible that the inclusion of a general prompt as a correct response may result in any step of the chain being prompt dependent, or at the very least, the initiation of the chain may be prompt dependent. Therefore, the purpose of the current project was to, first, evaluate the Horner and Keilitz (1975) eight-step prompting sequence by evaluating responding at each prompt level and, second, to investigate whether delivery of reinforcement for correct responses following general prompts increased the likelihood of prompt dependency. Three individuals with intellectual disabilities have participated. Thus far, participant responding has been idiosyncratic as to whether mastery of the chain was reached at the independent level or at the level of the general prompt. |
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Teaching Children with Autism to Differentially Imitate Observed Behaviors |
PAULA GAGLIOTI (Caldwell College), Tina Sidener (Caldwell College), Kenneth F. Reeve (Caldwell College), Bridget A. Taylor (Alpine Learning Group) |
Abstract: Imitation has been taught to children with autism using contrived procedures (e.g., stating “do this” prior to instruction); however, to date no studies have demonstrated effective procedures to teach imitation controlled by natural antecedents and consequences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 2-component monitoring response plus a prompting procedure on the differential motor imitation responses of two children with autism. Three types of trials were interspersed during each session: (1) model receiving a high-preference item contingent upon a motor response, (2) model receiving a neutral item contingent upon a motor response, and (3) model receiving nothing contingent upon a motor response. Generalization was assessed with a peer, novel stimuli and responses, and in the absence of the monitoring response. Both participants learned to imitate only during trials in which a high-preference item was delivered to the model. These results add to the literature an effective teaching procedure to increase imitation through observation using natural antecedents and consequences. |
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