Angelika Anderson

Locus of Control, Self‐Efficacy, and Motivation in Different Schools: Is moderation the key to success?

This study used a novel multidimensional locus of control instrument (I‐SEE) to investigate the relationship between locus of control, motivation, and academic achievement in three different types of school. The strengths of the I‐SEE are that it incorporates the construct of self‐efficacy and that it is embedded in a model of personality and action based on field‐theoretical conceptions. Further, it includes the role of the environment and personality in determining action. The results support a multidimensional conceptualisation of locus of control and the utility of the I‐SEE. There were statistically significant differences between schools for motivation and achievement and also a mediating effect between locus of control and school type, suggesting that interactional models are required in investigations of motivation and achievement. Furthermore, moderate levels of locus of control and self‐efficacy appear to be more adaptive than either extremely high or low levels.

Social skills assessment of children with autism in free-play situations:

Poor social functioning and limited play are characteristic of children with autism. Increasingly, education for children with autism is provided within mainstream settings, but given their particular difficulties, the adequate provision of educational services in such settings is challenging. This study presents observational data of the play behaviour and social interaction patterns of 10 children with autism in mainstream kindergartens and primary school playgrounds. The target children differed significantly in terms of their play and social interactions from typically developing children in the same settings. The adequacy of the provision of services for children with autism in mainstream provision is discussed.

Using an iPad-based video modelling package to teach numeracy skills to a child with an autism spectrum disorder

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a video modelling package to teach a 5 year-old boy diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) basic numeracy skills. The treatment package consisted of iPad-based video modelling, gradual fading of video prompts, reinforcement, in vivo prompting and forward chaining. Methods: A single subject multiple baseline across numerals design with generalization and maintenance observational measures. Results: Clear gains were evident in the participants ability to identify and write the Arabic numerals 1–7 and comprehend the quantity each numeral represents in association with the lagged intervention. Generalization and maintenance data demonstrated the robustness of the treatment effects. Conclusions: IPad-based video modelling, when used in a package, can be an effective technique for teaching numeracy skills to children with an ASD. Systematic replication of this study with different participants is warranted.

Using Video Self-Modelled Social Stories to Teach Social Skills to a Young Child with Autism

The present study investigated the effectiveness of combining Social Stories and Video Self-Modelling (VSM) to teach social skills to a three-year-old child with autism. A multiple-baseline across behaviors design revealed that video self-modelled Social Stories were effective at improving all three target behaviors: greeting, inviting to play, and contingent responding. In addition, these behaviors successfully generalized across settings, toys, and communication partners. Concomitant behavior changes, namely, increased levels of communicative behavior and levels of social engagement were also observed. These results support the effectiveness of video self-modelled Social Stories and illustrate the potential of combined intervention techniques for remedying the social deficits faced by this population.

Instructional Adaptation in the Management of Escape-Maintained Behavior in a Classroom

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an instructional adaptation (reduction of task duration) on off-task behavior in a general education classroom. The intervention was chosen following a functional behavioral assessment, which suggested that much of the off-task behavior was escape-maintained, and a curriculum-based assessment, which showed an appropriate curriculum/performance match. An alternating-treatments design was used to assess the impact of the intervention. Results revealed that the reduction of task duration was effective in decreasing the level of escape-maintained off-task behavior during independent work in mathematics. Attention-maintained off-task behavior was not affected. Implications of these findings for both assessment and intervention planning are discussed.

Self-recording With Goal Setting: A self-management programme for the classroom

A within-subjects multiple baseline across subjects design was employed to assess the effects of a self-management intervention involving self-recording and goal setting on the academic behaviour of three Year 4 (8-year-old) boys during language (poetry and story writing) lessons. On-task levels and work quality improved substantially in all cases, these gains being maintained over time with teacher report of generalisation to other settings for two of the subjects. Results suggest that this intervention was a socially valid and cost effective procedure for the classroom context. Implications for more extensive use of the techniques are discussed.

Self-Management Interventions on Students With Autism A Meta-Analysis of Single-Subject Research

Self-management interventions aimed at skill acquisition and/or improving behavior of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders were examined. Twenty-three single-subject research design studies met inclusion criteria. Quality assessment of these studies was conducted using the What Works Clearinghouse guidelines, and treatment effect sizes were calculated using the percentage of nonoverlapping data. Results were analyzed by age, setting, functional level, and target behaviors. Results indicate that self-management interventions are effective for increasing both social and academic skills for students of all ages and levels of ability. Results generalized to other settings and untreated behaviors and were maintained over time. Sufficient evidence supports the conclusion that self-management is an evidence-based procedure for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.

A Parent-Focused Early Intervention Program for Autism: Who Gets Access?.

Abstract Background The EarlyBird program is a psycho‐educational early intervention program for parents of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). It aims to provide parents with skills to increase their child’s communication and manage challenging behaviour using behavioural techniques. Method Two interlinked studies examined access to the EarlyBird program and barriers which may affect uptake. Study 1 investigated who accessed the EarlyBird program, and what factors influenced this choice. Study 2 was a qualitative investigation which focused on barriers to uptake for ethnic minority groups in New Zealand. Results Findings indicated that approximately 85% of families eligible for the program do not participate. Non‐membership of Autism New Zealand (the agency responsible for administering the program), ethnicity, and length of wait time were significant factors in non‐participation. Conclusions A model of factors which may influence uptake of interventions targeting the families of children with a disability is proposed.

The role of imitation in video-based interventions for children with autism

Objective: The aim of this paper is to bridge the gap between the corpus of imitation research and video-based intervention (VBI) research, and consider the impact imitation skills may be having on VBI outcomes and highlight potential areas for improving efficacy. Method: A review of the imitation literature was conducted focusing on imitation skill deficits in children with autism followed by a critical review of the video modelling literature focusing on pre-intervention assessment of imitation skills and the impact imitation deficits may have on VBI outcomes. Results: Children with autism have specific imitation deficits, which may impact VBI outcomes. Imitation training or procedural modifications made to videos may accommodate for these deficits. Conclusions: There are only six studies where VBI researchers have taken pre-intervention imitation assessments using an assortment of imitation measures. More research is required to develop a standardised multi-dimensional imitation assessment battery that can better inform VBI.

Resource Teachers Learning and Behavior Collaborative Problem Solving to Support Inclusion

With the implementation of Special Education 2000, a new policy on special education, New Zealand has moved to develop a world-class inclusive education system for students with mild to moderate learning and behavior needs. This article outlines a professional development program for a group of resource teachers who are implementing a major element of the policy. The authors report on the establishment of the training program through the collaboration of faculty from three universities. They also comment on the challenges to such a program, the ways in which these challenges were met through collaborative problem solving, and some outcomes to date.