The number of direct support professionals (DSPs) needed to support the increasing numbers of adults diagnosed with autism within the United States continues to grow exponentially. DSPs receive minimal training and often fail to generalize the training they have received, which can directly lead to poor learning outcomes for the adults they serve.…

Adults with developmental disabilities may not learn the safety skills needed to maintain the safety of those within their communities. Basic life-saving skills are valued by community members and increase independent and integrated living and employment opportunities. This study used an instructional package consisting of modeling, task analysis,…

This applied dissertation study compared the effectiveness of the iPad-assisted and traditional flashcard-assisted instruction for teaching receptive labeling skills to learners with autism. A lack of access to certified service providers and insurance coverage and the inability to receive a diagnosis of autism prevent families from accessing…

Three elementary students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) participated in this study, which examined generalization effects of video self-prompting to teach daily living skills. Video self-prompting involves students controlling video-prompts, which show shortened video clips of someone performing steps of a target skill. The student then…

For students with physical and health disabilities, the development of self-advocacy skills is critical to their future success. Characteristics that may inhibit the development of self-advocacy skills in this population include reliance on others for assistance across multiple areas requiring physical abilities, deficits in communication skills,…

Autism is primarily a social disorder and deficits in social-orienting may be responsible for the failure of children with autism to initiate critical social behaviors. The purpose of this research was to improve the quality of social interactions of children with autism by implementing naturalistic behavior strategies intervention utilizing a…

Educators are in need of appropriate interventions for teaching individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A widely used (Bellini & Akullian, 2007; Delano, 2007) and evidence-based (Horner et al., 2005) instructional intervention for individuals with ASD is video modeling. Video modeling involves the learner viewing a video…

The development of literacy skills is a crucial skill that all students are entitled to develop (Browder, Gibbs, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Courtade, Mraz, Flowers, in press). Currently limited research has been conducted on the acquisition of early literacy skills for students with significant disabilities (Browder, Mims, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, & Lee,…