Further research is needed on strategies to improve employment outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We replicated and extended prior research by examining the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of discrete-trial training (DTT) performance of adults with ASD who were interested in careers as behavior technicians.…

We evaluated a method for teaching children with autism spectrum disorder to respond to tactile stimulation of multiple body parts. Various objects (e.g., hairbrush) produced the sensations (e.g., prickly). In a multiple baseline design across participants, participants learned 9 sensation body part tacts and the evaluation concluded with tests of…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty generalizing from directly trained responses to untrained responses (i.e., emergent responding). In this study, we used a chain prompt combined with matrix training to teach 2 participants with ASD to tact 192 three-digit numerals. We used a multiple-baseline design across matrices to…

For most children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), manding for information is an important skill that must be systematically taught. Although previous studies have evaluated interventions for teaching other mands for information, to date no studies have demonstrated effective procedures for teaching the mand "why?" The purpose of the…

Whether a child with autism spectrum disorder will exhibit observational learning may depend on their attention to and the stimulus modalities of the observed contingency. We used multiple-probe and repeated-acquisition designs to test observational learning across a diverse set of contingencies, which included hidden edible, hidden toy, hidden…

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of equivalence-based instruction (EBI) on learning to play individual notes and simple songs on the piano. Participants were 4 typically developing children and 4 children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They were exposed to a series of auditory-visual…

This paper presents information from a comprehensive review of 28 experimental studies that investigated the effectiveness and efficiency of the simultaneous prompting procedure with individuals with autism. Twenty of the 25 variables examined across the 28 studies are reported on in this paper. The results reported across the studies indicated…

Conceptual model-based problem solving (COMPS) was tested for its efficacy in teaching a student diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder to solve word problems involving multiplication and division. A single-case, multiple-baseline across behaviors design was conducted. The ability to solve each of three types of multiplication problems examined…

A growing body of literature supports the effectiveness of Modified Schema-Based Instruction (MSBI) to improve mathematical problem-solving for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). MSBI is an intervention package that teaches students to identify the problem structure and use a problem-solving heuristic to…

This paper compared the effectiveness and efficiency of using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and teacher-implemented instruction (TII) to teach visual matching skills to students with autism spectrum disorder and/or other developmental disabilities. Four school-aged students participated in this study with an alternating treatment design. The…

The ability to generate narratives is important for literacy development. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been found to generate less complex narratives than typically developing peers. This pilot AB study was designed to investigate the efficacy of a brief intervention procedure to develop the macrostructure of original…

Treatment intensity is an aspect of communication intervention that has received limited empirical attention. In this article, we discuss key parameters of treatment intensity related to individuals with complex communication needs who use augmentative and alternative communication. We advocate for an examination of treatment intensity along with…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of using video-enhanced activity schedules on a laptop on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of schedule following, and pretend play skills in children with ASD. In addition, social validity data were collected from the teachers and the mothers of the participating children. Four…

Limited research has explored how to best train caregivers to support their child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) despite caregivers being well suited to promote generalization and maintenance of their child's skills in the natural environment. Children with ASD have been shown to benefit from social skill training, which is not always…

Purpose: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex communication needs are increasingly taught to use tablet-based speech-generating devices (SGDs). An important issue in designing such interventions is the selection of an appropriate format for displaying vocabulary. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) whether young…