Association for Behavior Analysis International

Children diagnosed with autism often display difficulties in social situations, staying on task in group situations, and completing work independently for extended periods of time which adversely may affect their quality of life throughout their day. The three studies which make up the symposium used behavioral interventions to increase independence, social, and on-task behaviors for individuals diagnosed with autism. The results of the first study increased independent work completed using a visual schedule. The student learned to follow his visual schedule and complete all tasks required in the absence of adult supervision. Study two used text messages via Apple watch to increase the appropriate social initiations for two individuals diagnosed with autism. Study three compared on task behavior between traditional circle time and circle time using a smart board. The results of each of these three studies increased the overall independence for individuals with autism across multiple contexts throughout their day.

Frequently, children with autism spectrum disorders become dependent on prompts from teachers or parents to complete tasks, even those that have been previously mastered (Hume and Odom, 2007). The ability to independently navigate through multiple work tasks can create significant opportunities for individuals to become more self-sufficient in less restrictive settings and serve as a brief respite for caregivers. The present study is an example of how a visual schedule increased independent work completion for 15-year-old-aged boy in a private school. Through the use of prompt fading the individual was taught to check the binder which contained pictures of tasks, then to retrieve a bin from a shelf which corresponded to that picture. The individual then completed the task and turned it in to be checked for accuracy and completeness. Verbal praise and an edible were provided once the terminal bin was completed and checked by the staff member. Challenging behavior remained low throughout the treatment even as prompts were faded. Independence in task completion increased and remained high and stable throughout generalization. Generalization included increasing the amount of work bins completed in one session as well as varying environments in which the work was completed.

Students with autism have skill deficits with attempting to interact with typical peers. This is equally true for children with high-functioning autism. In the current study, the researcher used text messages on an Apple watch to increase the appropriate social initiations of 2 middle school student with high-functioning autism in a public high school. The results show the intervention was highly effective for both participants. Recommendations for future research are suggested.

This study evaluated the demonstration of on-task behavior during circle time for three preschool aged children with autism. Using an alternating treatment design, on-task behavior was compared using a whole interval data collection system, between a traditional circle time and a circle time that used smartboard technology. The findings indicated that a small to moderate increase in the demonstration of on-task behavior was evident for all three participants during the technology based circle time. These findings advance the field in terms of the incorporation of technology into the classroom experience.