Teaching teenagers with autism to answer cell phones and seek assistance when lost

Three participants with autism were taught to answer a cell phone and to follow directions to seek assistance when lost in community settings. During baseline, none of the participants answered a cell phone or sought assistance. Following instruction at school and in the community, all participants learned to answer the cell phone and follow instructions to seek assistance from a naïve adult by exchanging a communication card. Generalization probes were conducted in non-training community sites and with the participants' parents. Data also were collected on the responses of naïve community members to determine the social validity of the participants' assistance-seeking skills. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of teaching community safety skills to individuals with autism and the challenges of teaching these responses to individuals with severe communication and social deficits.