Priming as a Method of Coordinating Educational Services for Students With Autism

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Applied Behavior Analysis

Background:

• Coordinated educational services are crucial for students with disabilities.
• Effective programs accelerate targeted behavior acquisition and long-term maintenance.
• Students with autism often exhibit disruptive behaviors and low academic performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of "priming" on academic performance in students with autism.
• To evaluate the effect of pre-exposure to assignments on problem behaviors.
• To investigate a novel educational coordination strategy for students with autism.

Main Methods:

• A repeated reversals design was employed to track student progress.
• The study involved two students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
• Participants exhibited disruptive behaviors and low academic performance in general education settings.

Main Results:

• Priming sessions led to a decrease in problem behaviors.
• Academic responding increased when students were exposed to assignments beforehand.
• The intervention demonstrated positive effects on both behavior and academics.

Conclusions:

• Priming can be an effective educational coordination strategy.
• Speech-language pathologists can utilize this method to support classroom teachers.
• This systematic approach can lead to rapid improvements in school performance for students with autism.