The Use of Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Components of Direct Instruction.

Behavioral skills training (BST) has been demonstrated to be an effective method for training staff to perform skills with high fidelity in a relatively short amount of time. In the current study, three components of direct instruction (DI) were trained using BST. The participants were two classroom instructors with prior experience implementing DI with students with autism.

Sample First versus Comparison First Stimulus Presentations: Preliminary Findings for Two Individuals with Autism.

The current study was a replication of Petursdottir and Aguilar ( 58-68, 2016). Two different stimulus presentations were evaluated during auditory-visual discrimination training. A sample-first procedure, in which the sample stimulus was presented before the comparison stimuli, was compared to a comparison-first procedure, in which the sample presentation was presented after the comparison stimuli.

An Evaluation of Differential Observing Responses During Receptive Label Training.

The current study compared the use of a differential observing response (DOR) during receptive label training to a condition without the DOR. We extended the research on DORs used during receptive label training by using them with progressive prompt delay procedures and assessing responding following mastery without the DOR. Results indicated that both participants performed better in the DOR condition during the first comparison, but results were less clear in the second comparison.

Effects of Reinforcer Magnitude and Quality on Preference for Response-Reinforcer Arrangements in Young Children with Autism.

The present study evaluated the effects of reinforcer magnitude and quality on preference for continuous and discontinuous arrangements. Two preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participated in the study. Both participants initially preferred a discontinuous arrangement when choice options included the same quality and magnitude reinforcers; however, magnitude and quality manipulations resulted in a change in preference for continuous arrangements.

A Comparison of Prompting Tactics for Teaching Intraverbals to Young Adults with Autism.

Several researchers have compared the effectiveness of tact or textual prompts to echoic prompts for teaching intraverbal behavior to young children with autism. We extended this line of research by comparing the effectiveness of visual (textual or tact) prompts to echoic prompts to teach intraverbal responses to three young adults with autism. An adapted alternating treatments design was used with 2 to 3 comparisons for each participant.

The use of picture prompts and prompt delay to teach receptive labeling.

The current study extended research on picture prompts by using them with a progressive prompt delay to teach receptive labeling of pictures to 2 teenagers with autism. The procedure differed from prior research because the auditory stimulus was not presented or was presented only once during the picture-prompt condition. The results indicated that the combination of picture prompts and prompt delay was effective, although 1 participant required a procedural modification.

A comparison of methods for teaching receptive language to toddlers with autism.

The use of a simple-conditional discrimination training procedure, in which stimuli are initially taught in isolation with no other comparison stimuli, is common in early intensive behavioral intervention programs. Researchers have suggested that this procedure may encourage the development of faulty stimulus control during training. The current study replicated previous work that compared the simple-conditional and the conditional-only methods to teach receptive labeling of pictures to young children with autism spectrum disorder.

Teaching intraverbal behavior to children with autism: a comparison of textual and echoic prompts.

Although echoic prompts may be effective for teaching intraverbal behavior to children with autism, the performance of some children may become dependent on such prompts (i.e., the prompts cannot be eliminated).

Computer-based spelling instruction for students with developmental disabilities.

Learning to spell on the computer may lead to functionally useful writing skills. Alan and Suzy, teenagers with developmental disabilities, were already proficient on a variety of naming and matching tasks but had difficulties spelling; Suzy also made errors reading orally. In Experiment 1, computer teaching led to new anagram and written spelling performances.