Emergent literacy skills including alphabetic knowledge, print knowledge, oral language, phonological awareness, and emergent writing are foundational for future reading development. Many children with ASD are at risk for future reading difficulties (e.g., Brown et al., 2013; McIntyre et al., 2018; Nation et al., 2006). To support the emergent…

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate alternative and effective forms of instruction for young students with autism spectrum disorder. The researcher examined and compared the difference in the instructional formats of 1:1 discrete trial teaching and small-group discrete trial teaching. Targets were chosen in receptive language and…

Given the nationwide increase in the diagnosis of autism, particularly in the pediatric population, there is obvious value in examining the effectiveness of intervention methods. This research sought to examine the effectiveness of a music-infused approach combined with Applied Behavioral Analysis methodology. The exploratory mixed method design…

Interpersonal connectedness (IC) is an essential social function across life but is critical for young children. IC begins at birth and is vital to emerging physiological and affect regulation, attachment, communication, and cognition. IC occurs through dynamic interactive behavioral coordination, resulting in an embodied dyadic state of shared…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that impacts areas of social communication and social interaction. The prevalence of ASD has increased in the last ten years. Symptoms and behaviors include restrictive and repetitive movements, highly restricted and fixated interests, insistence on sameness, and hypo or hyper-reactivity.…

According to multiple studies, a referral process bias exists in the early identification of autism for children of color, in particular Latino children. Sociocultural, economic, educational, and health care barriers have significantly impacted Latino children. For example, Latino children are less likely to receive access to early intervention…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a peer mediated intervention to increase social communication acts of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Utilizing a single-subject A-B design across four peer dyads, I examined the overall effectiveness of the intervention in relation to specific nonverbal,…

For children with autism or other complex communication needs (CCN), access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems can increase opportunities to effectively participate in many aspects of daily life. The use of AAC can enhance communication, language, and learning for children with CCN (Hidecker, 2020), and allows for…

A child's early language environment, and their parents' active engagement during parent-child interactions play a vital role in facilitating the development of complex social reinforcers and the growth of their verbal behavior. Using a verbal behavioral approach, this study aimed to measure the statistical significance of changes in the quality…

Over 50 years of research suggests that toilet training based on behavioral principles is effective for most individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). However, many adults with IDD are never effectively toilet trained. Lack of independent toileting is associated with detrimental physical, mental, and social experiences.…

The United States and Germany are two predominantly monolingual countries with a significant number of multilingual speakers. Previous research on multilingualism in children on the autism spectrum has found no adverse effects on children's language and communication development but often excluded children with complex communication needs or…

In the last decade, the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) has committed to working on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The work began with call-to-action papers, empirical work on cultural accommodations, and most recently, the certifying board has changed the professional standards for board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs). An…

Through two presented experiments, I investigated the relationship between the development of non-arbitrary relational control on (a) degree of incidental acquisition of both the listener and speaker components of naming (Inc-BiN), (b) arbitrary derived relations, and (c) joint attention for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).…

Children's self-regulation has shown to be related to the trajectories across various domains of adaptive functioning and school success. Delay in self-regulation development represents an area of major challenge for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (e.g., Jahromi, 2017), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent…

Meeting the sensory needs of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder can be challenging for special education teachers and staff. Children with ASD often experience sensory processing challenge, in turn impacting their ability to participate in daily occupations such as play (Schaff, et al., 2018). Evidence reveals that teachers have varying…