Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty with developing and generalizing the social skills necessary for long term success. Social skills deficits can often lead to shortcomings in other areas, and can hinder a child's potential for future independence. Currently, many studies addressing this issue use a "train and…

With the rapid increase in the diagnostic rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there has been a growing need for evaluating the trends in training natural change agents to implement behavioral interventions and coming to a consensus on training procedures that are efficacious, efficient, and accessible. The purpose of this multiple manuscript…

This dissertation study aims to understand the instructional interactions that foster students' generalizing. By analyzing video recorded lessons from 13 different Grade 3 classrooms in which an early algebra intervention is being implemented, activities related to generalizing and students' generalizing activities were identified, and the nature…

Research suggests that high school aged individuals with developmental disabilities are at a higher likelihood of lacking the prosocial behaviors necessary for successful transition into post high school life and a work environment. Decreased vocational success often leads to increased likelihood of mental health issues for individuals with…

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…

Theorists agree that adequate knowledge does not guarantee better decisions or performances in the future (Gu, 2007; Dana & Yendol-Hpppery, 2008). Instead, they suggest that in order to comprehend teachers' decision and practices, researchers need to learn about both teachers' belief and knowledge. Meanwhile, in-service teachers were…

A well-documented curricular gap exists in L2 pedagogy between the introductory courses, focusing mainly on language, and advanced courses, focusing mainly on literary content. Intermediate learners, despite their proficiency, generally have difficulty in bridging this gap, as it requires a shift from decoding to interpreting and analyzing texts.…

Problem solving is an important employability skill and considered valuable both in educational settings (Agran & Alper, 2000) and the workplace (Ju, Zhang, & Pacha, 2012). However, limited research exists instructing students with autism to engage in problem solving skills (e.g., Bernard-Opitz, Sriram, & Nakhoda-Sapuan, 2001). The…

The purpose of this study is to examine whether or not CBVI is an effective method in teaching students with intellectual disabilities the skills of locating grocery items in classroom settings and whether or not the acquired skills in classroom settings generalize to actual grocery stores. Four high school students with intellectual disabilities…

There is ample literature documenting that, for many decades, high school students view algebra as difficult and do not demonstrate understanding of algebraic concepts. Algebraic reasoning in elementary school aims at meaningfully introducing algebra to elementary school students in preparation for higher-level mathematics. While there is research…

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 current study evaluated the effectiveness of a multimedia social skills program, Superheroes Social Skills for Children with Autism, in increasing the social engagement skills of 4 elementary-aged students with an autism spectrum disorder. This program incorporates several evidence-based practices into one comprehensive curriculum, namely…

In providing children at risk for reading difficulties with the necessary skills to be successful readers in school age programs, early childhood educators in high-quality preschool programs facilitate the development of emergent literacy and oral language abilities through language-rich environments. However, most teachers in preschool settings…

Self-modeling can take different forms but is described as a process where one observes one's own successful behavior and learns from it without dependence on any particular medium. In this study, two separate experiments were conducted to evaluate a video self-modeling (VSM) feedforward intervention. VSM feedforward (independent variable, IV),…

This single-subject research study was designed to examine the effects of point-of-view video modeling (POVM) on the symbolic play actions and play-associated language of four preschool students with autism. A multiple baseline design across participants was conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of using POVM as an intervention for…