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| An Analysis of Strategies for Teaching Abstract and Relational Skills to Young Children with Autism |
| Saturday, May 29, 2004 |
| 1:00 PM–2:20 PM |
| Back Bay D |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Robert F. Kidd (Perspectives Corporation) |
| Discussant: Thomas J. Waltz (University of Nevada, Reno) |
| Abstract: N/a |
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| Where Am I? An Analysis of Preposition Use and Self-Reporting. |
| JOHN C. BARNARD (Educational Services Unit Burlington County Special Services), Allison Garofalo (Garofalo & Associates, LLC) |
| Abstract: Intervention protocols for children with autism are complex, analytic endeavors that include a comprehensive, individualized curriculum designed to establish a variety of behavioral, language, and cognitive skills. With careful and systematic skill building, behavior analysts have been able to teach a variety of simple and complex language relations to children with autism. But even with careful curriculum development it is common for many children to struggle when abstract language concepts like prepositions are introduced. And these abstract concepts can become even more problematic when combined with other abstract language concepts like pronouns. Using selected case studies this presentation will analyze the progress of students during acquisition of the basic use of spatial prepositions, and discuss the component skills comprising these abilities. The emergence of verbal reporting of self (“I” verses “You”) in relation to various objects in the environment will be discussed as will the potential implications of these reports towards the development of other complex skill areas. |
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| Teaching Visual Perspective Taking to Children with Autism: Considerations. |
| STEIN LUND (Perspectives Corporation) |
| Abstract: Children with autism have many individual deficits that must be addressed individually and in a highly systematic manner. Intervention must proceed incrementally as complex skills must be deconstructed and organized into individual, yet interrelated units. An area of great difficulty concerns “visual perspective taking.” Essentially, visual perspective taking consists of responding to a situation from at least two different vantage points while discriminating which vantage point “belongs” to “I.” This skill is highly complex and elusive. However, behavior analysis, with its focus on deconstructing complex behavior, explicit contingency arrangement and incremental teaching is conducive to establish this skill. This paper discusses some basic elements of visual perspective taking and offers a sequence of implementation. The proposed sequence is derived from clinical work with several young children with autism. Additionally, this paper will highlight common obstacles and issues that are often concealed. |
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| A Relational Frame Perspective on Teaching Prepositions and Pronouns to Children with Autism |
| YVONNE BARNES-HOLMES (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Louise A. Mchugh (National University of Ireland, Maynooth) |
| Abstract: Relational Frame Theory (RFT) is a modern behavioral and functional account of human language and cognition with an emphasis on derived relational responding as a critical skill in complex verbal behavior. An increasing number of empirical studies have highlighted the utility of employing concepts and methodologies generated by RFT in an educational context. For example, RFT protocols for establishing perspective-taking skills that may have important implications for intervention programs with children with autism have been developed. Similarly, it seems likely that the theory might also make a contribution to the instruction of prepositions and pronouns as inherently relational concepts, both of which are notoriously difficult to establish in young children and would appear to require the development of perspective-taking. The current paper will (1) present a relational frame account of how these skills can be understood at the level of behavioral process and (2) suggest, from an RFT perspective, ways in which they might be established in the repertoires of young children when they are found to be absent. |
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