Adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have persistent difficulty developing and generalizing social communication and interaction skills. Emerging research has demonstrated that people with ASD have benefited from strategies that embed multiple-exemplar training (MET) to increase generalization of social skills.…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention package consisting of systematic instruction and aided AAC modeling with speech-output technology on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of socio-communicative behaviors in four minimally speaking,…

Purpose: This study examines the efficacy of perceptual training for improving typical listeners' identification of vowels produced by individuals with dysarthria. We examined whether training on a subset of vowels can generalize to (a) untrained vowels and (b) other speakers with similar overall intelligibility. Method: Sixty naive listeners…

This quality review is an analysis of the methodological quality of social communication intervention research identifying which social communication interventions for this population could be considered evidence-based practices (EBPs). The purpose of the quality review was to apply the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) guidelines to the literature…

Purpose: Students with multiple disabilities who are beginning communicators require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to communicate during school and participate in its academic and social aspects. Triadic gaze is a method for accessing low-tech AAC that minimizes physical demands on access for students with limited mobility, such…

Purpose: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty asking questions during social conversation, which can negatively impact their interactions with peers. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a question bank intervention would be effective in improving question asking during social conversation. Method: In…

Complementary and reciprocal interactions are a defining feature of sibling relationships for young children. However, the social and communication difficulties of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can make reciprocal play more difficult and play between siblings can be less rewarding. Sibling play can serve an important role in…

The present study utilized a multiple baseline across participants design and targeted a crucial component of social interaction, conversational skills, through implementation of the teaching interactions procedure with college students with intellectual disabilities within naturalistic settings. For each participant, the mean frequency of both…

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a multicomponent peer-mediated intervention (PMI) on teaching adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) how to show interest in peer conversation partners by asking partner-focused questions about the person, their interests, or their experiences and by making partner-focused…

We examined the use of an intervention package consisting of the system of least prompts (SLP), visual schedules, peer models, and contingent reinforcement to teach four children with disabilities to independently play board games and communicate with their typically developing peers. We found the intervention package with individual adaptations…

This RCT study examined efficacy of a preschool peer social intervention (PPSI) in facilitating social engagement of preschoolers with high-functioning ASD (HFASD; N = 65). HFASD participants were randomly assigned by preschool to a 6-month intervention (play, interaction, or conversation) or a waitlisted-treatment-as-usual control group. Trained…

We investigated the effect of real-time technology-enhanced performance-based feedback delivered during three different routines on teacher practice and child outcomes. Participants were three early childhood special education teachers and three focus preschool children identified with autism spectrum disorder. We used a multiple-probe single-case…

Scripts in written or auditory form have been used to teach conversational skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but with the proliferation of handheld tablet devices the scope to combine these 2 formats has broadened. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate if a script-based intervention, presented on an iPad…

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the initial efficacy of a parent-assisted blended intervention combining components of Structured TEACCHing and Social Thinking, designed to increase social communication and self-regulation concept knowledge in 1st and 2nd graders (n = 17) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents.…

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the initial efficacy of a parent-assisted blended intervention combining components of Structured TEACCHing and Social Thinking, designed to increase social communication and self-regulation concept knowledge in 1st and 2nd graders (n = 17) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents.…