The current study examined vocalizations that occurred during training of the Picture Exchange Communication System for three U.S. preschool-age participants with autism spectrum disorder. In Phase IV, the protocol incorporates a delay to reinforcement in an effort to encourage vocalizations; however, the manual does not suggest additional…

The use of mobile devices has become a major medium of leisure engagement for the general population. However, individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience disparities in technology access, which may limit their engagement in mobile device-based leisure. Little research has examined procedures for teaching individuals with ID to…

There has been an increased interest in research evaluating the use of handheld computing technology as speech-generating devices (SGD) for children with autism. However, given the reliance on single-subject research methodology, replications of these investigations are necessary. This study presents a replication with variation, of a method for…

This study investigated effects of video modeling (VM) when teaching recreation and leisure skills to three high school students with moderate intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. Results, evaluated via a multiple probe across participants design, indicated that VM was effective for teaching all students to play the Wii.…

Children with Down syndrome (DS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently have difficulty riding a two-wheel bicycle. The purpose of this study was to investigate an intervention using an adapted bicycle and individualized instruction to teach 71 youth to ride a standard two-wheel bicycle. Youth with DS (n = 30) and ASD (n = 41) between the…

Originally designed to enable young children with autism lacking functional communication to initiate requests and to describe what they observed, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has been the subject of an ever-expanding body of research and development. Thirty-four peer-reviewed published reports on PECS are analyzed in this…

This study investigated the use of a computer-based intervention for teaching orthographic symbols to children with autism. Through a structured seven-step fading procedure, children were taught to identify words from commercially available logos depicting food items. A multiple-probe design across participants was used to examine the effects of…

This qualitative study examined obstacles to literacy for individuals with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI). Using a constant comparison approach, the authors addressed attitudinal and opportunity barriers to literacy education from the perspective of parents, teachers, university faculty, and administrators involved in literacy…

Collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) hold great potential for people with autism. An exploratory empirical study was conducted to determine if children and youth with autism could understand basic emotions as represented by a humanoid avatar. Thirty-four participants (ages 7.8-16 years) reported to have autism interacted with a software…