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Using the Visual World Paradigm to Study Sentence Comprehension in Mandarin-Speaking Children with Autism
Published on: October 3, 2018
Teaching a child with autism to mand for information using "how"
M Alice Shillingsburg1, Amber L Valentino
1Marcus Autism Center and Emory University, School of Medicine.
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
|April 26, 2012
Summary
This study introduces a novel method to teach children with autism to ask "how" questions. This helps them acquire information needed for various activities, improving their independence.
Area of Science:
- Behavior analysis
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research
- Developmental psychology
Background:
- Children with autism often require structured teaching to learn functional communication, including asking for information.
- Previous research successfully taught 'what,' 'who,' and 'where' questions using establishing operations (EOs), prompts, and reinforcement.
- Teaching the 'how' mand is challenging due to the transient nature of the establishing operation once information is provided.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a procedure for teaching a child with autism to mand for information using the question 'how'.
- To address the gap in research regarding teaching 'how' questions in children with autism.
- To explore methods for contriving establishing operations to facilitate the acquisition of the 'how' mand.
Main Methods:
- A single-subject research design was employed.
- The study involved teaching one child with autism to use the 'how' mand to obtain information for completing activities.
- Procedures likely included manipulation of establishing operations, prompting, and reinforcement strategies.
Main Results:
- The developed procedure was effective in teaching the child with autism to mand for information using 'how'.
- The child successfully acquired the 'how' mand to gain information necessary for task completion.
- The findings demonstrate the feasibility of teaching this specific verbal operant in individuals with autism.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a viable procedure for teaching the 'how' mand to children with autism.
- Results have significant implications for clinical practice in speech therapy and behavioral intervention for autism.
- Further research is warranted to explore the generalization and maintenance of the 'how' mand and to refine EO contrivance strategies.
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