Autistic individuals have significant social-communication challenges that commonly persist into adulthood and impact academic, social, and vocational pursuits. More than two decades of research have established video behavior modeling as a successful, cost-effective, and time-efficient intervention tool for autistic children; however, less…

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…

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty generalizing newly acquired communication skills to different contexts. In this study, a multiple baseline across settings (clinic, school, and home) design was used to determine whether an 8-year-old boy with ASD could learn to approach communication partners to request…

Systematic reviews show some evidence for the efficacy of group-based social skills group training in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, but more rigorous research is needed to endorse generalizability. In addition, little is known about the perspectives of autistic individuals participating in social skills group training.…

Question asking behavior, or requesting information, is often deficient in children with autism and can prove challenging to teach. Currently, there exists a paucity of research regarding the types of teaching strategies that are effective in teaching children with autism this crucial skill. The purpose of the present study was to examine…

Previous research suggests that vocational skills training for individuals with autism may increase the likelihood that they may be effectively employed. In the present study, a multiple-baseline-across-participants design was used to assess the effects of graduated guidance, scripts, and script fading to teach four adolescents with autism in a…

Many profoundly deaf signers have difficulty communicating with hearing people. This article describes a therapy called "Strategies and Measurable Interaction in Live English" (smiLE; Schamroth and Threadgill, 2007a), an approach used to teach deaf children skills to become successful communicators in real-life situations. This study…

Researchers have consistently shown the effectiveness of functional communication training (FCT) to address both the communication and behavioral needs of children on the autism spectrum. The three steps of FCT include completing a functional behavior assessment, identifying a communication response, and developing a treatment plan. In addition,…

If students are to become proficient at using social skills, parents must be involved in teaching and reinforcing these skills at home. Parent involvement is associated with increased student success, especially when it includes a two-way exchange of information between home and school. As the traditional family has changed, new methods of…

This study involved the extension and adaptation of systematic instructional procedures suggested by Light and Binger (1998) to increase the social-pragmatic language skills of five high school students with moderate cognitive disabilities. Within a single-subject multiple probe research design, we also assessed intervention effects on two skills…

Small-group training consisting of feedback and self-management was effective in improving question-asking skills during tutorial conversations in nine high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Training was implemented in a therapy room and lasted 6 weeks. Sessions were conducted once a week and lasted about an hour.…

A study reviewed 16 studies that investigated the effects of interventions designed to increase early social communicative skills of young children with autism by increasing their role as initiator of social interactions. Positive changes were reported for social and affective behaviors. Limited generalization or maintenance of target behaviors…

The efficacy of a social-skills-training package in producing stimulus generalization, both with and without the systematic application of generalization programming techniques, was evaluated with five preschool children with hearing impairments. Results found generalization of the social skills did not occur until generalization programming…

Eight mothers of developmentally disabled children (ages 2-11) were individually trained in eight skill domains (e.g., preparation, complete communication, clarification, consensus, feedback) to enhance their communication skills with professionals. Each parent acquired the targeted skills during simulated conferences, and correct responding…

Two three-year olds, one verbal and one nonverbal, with moderate to severe developmental delays were taught target communication objectives using milieu language teaching. The children generalized their target objectives spontaneously and in probe situations that also required them to display listener preparatory behaviors. (Author/DB)