James W. Halle

The Use of Single-Subject Research to Identify Evidence-Based Practice in Special Education:

Single-subject research plays an important role in the development of evidence-based practice in special education. The defining features of single-subject research are presented, the contributions of single-subject research for special education are reviewed, and a specific proposal is offered for using single-subject research to document evidence-based practice. This article allows readers to determine if a specific study is a credible example of single-subject research and if a specific practice or procedure has been validated as “evidence-based” via single-subject research.

Teaching Language in the Natural Environment: An Analysis of Spontaneity.

A rationale for the importance of analyzing spontaneous language use by persons with severe disabilities is offered. Definition represents the first barrier. A continuum of cues that occasion language responses is recommended to resolve definitional ambiguities. The same continuum can be invoked for training purposes. Three recent studies representing state-of-the-art procedures for teaching spontaneous language use are reviewed. Finally, future directions for conceptualizing, analyzing, and teaching spontaneous language use are discussed.

Families with Children Who Have Autism Spectrum Disorders: Stress and Support

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have behavior repertoires that might be expected to have an impact on members of both the immediate and extended family. This article examines this impact, reviewing relevant literature related to stressors and supports for families of individuals with ASD. The focus of the article highlights research on stressors and supports in the following areas (a) stress in the marital subsystem, (b) stress in the parental subsystem, (c) stress in the sibling subsystem, (d) coping strategies used by families, and (e) informal and formal sources of support used by families. Implications and recommendations for future research and practice are discussed.

Using Behavioral Indication and Functional Communication Training to Establish an Initial Sign Repertoire with a Young Child with Severe Disabilities

Functional communication training (FCT) has been an effective strategy for replacing challenging behavior with more socially acceptable behavior that serves the same communicative function. In this study, the application of FCT was extended to replacing behavior that was communicative, but not identified as challenging. A within-subject multiple baseline design was used to teach a young girl with severe disabilities six target signs that were functionally equivalent to existing behavior (e.g., leading, reaching). The use of the existing forms served as behavioral indication of motivation for determining appropriate occasions for teaching the new forms, and teaching occurred only in the presence of behavioral indication by the participant. Results showed successful acquisition and discriminated use of the six signs. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Teaching Systematic Instruction Competencies to Special Education Student Teachers: An Applied Behavioral Supervision Model.

This study compared the effectiveness of immediate and delayed feedback supervision procedures on the acquisition of systematic instruction skills by three pre-service teachers who were receiving practicum experience in classrooms for students with severe disabilities. Behaviors targeted for intervention were: (a) the appropriate use of positive consequences, and (b) the appropriate use of systems of instructional prompts. All supervision procedures were administered by university supervisors. Results indicated that immediate feedback was more effective with two student teachers and delayed feedback was more effective for the third participant. Unobtrusive observations of two participants in the practicum sites following the intervention indicated that the teaching skills maintained in the absence of the university supervisors.

Teaching Social Communication to Young Children with Severe Disabilities

The ability to communicate in conventional ways is an essential component of any social endeavor. To convey strategies and considerations for establishing initial communication repertoires in young children with severe disabilities, we describe a case example of our work with Todd, a 4-year-old nonverbal child. The considerations include (a) that facilitating the development of conventional forms of communication in young nonverbal children begins with careful assessment and identification of existing unconventional forms, their associated functions, and the social and physical environmental factors that occasion communication; (b) that current forms can be used as behavioral indications for determining appropriate occasions for teaching new, conventional forms that serve the same function; (c) that teachable opportunities, signaled by the use of current forms, vary according to fluctuating learner motivation, which may be a function of social, biological, or environmental factors; (d) that unconventional forms may be displayed with greater generality than previously assumed. Finally, (e) to promote generalization of new forms, the application of general case instruction is recommended.

Functional Analysis of Communicative Behaviors

Functional analysis is a methodology that has been used to assess the functions of aberrant or disruptive behaviors. The current article discusses how functional analysis may be useful for determining the functions of all communicative behaviors, whether they are aberrant or not. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the implementation of the three components of functional analysis: interviews, direct observation, and analog probes. Information from each of these three assessment sources contributes to the development of intervention plans addressing the unique communication needs of individuals with severe disabilities.

Creating a spoken impact: encouraging vocalization through audio visual feedback in children with ASD

One hallmark difficulty of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) centers on communication and speech. Research into computer visualizations of voice has been shown to influence conversational patterns and allow users to reflect upon their speech. In this paper, we present the Spoken Impact Project (SIP), an effort to examine the effect of audio and visual feedback on vocalizations in low-functioning children with ASD by providing them with additional means of understanding and exploring their voice. This research spans over 12 months, including the creation of multiple software packages and detailed analysis of more than 20 hours of experimental video. SIP demonstrates the potential of computer generated audio and visual feedback to encourage vocalizations of children with ASD.

Using General-Case Instruction to Teach Spontaneous and Generalized Requests for Assistance to Learners with Severe Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of general-case instruction on spontaneous and generalized requests for assistance by three adolescents with severe disabilities. The findings support the efficacy of the general-case approach in relation to using a single example to teach requests for help. The distinguishing aspect of the general-case phase was the variation in stimulus conditions that occurred across teaching opportunities. Results indicated that general-case instruction produced generalized requests for assistance with two of the three learners. The implications for using general-case procedures for teaching communicative interactions are discussed and future research areas are proposed.

Phonological Awareness and ProductionChanges During Intervention

Changes in feature awareness and production during phonological intervention were examined separatelyin four preschool-aged children with severe phonological impairment. Each received intervention that incorporated attention to the features of three error patterns and provided opportunities to practice productions for those patterns. Awareness skills and productionperformance were assessed repeatedly in the context of a multiple-probe design. Relationships between the two variables were then observed. Results indicated that the rate and degree of change in awareness did not always parallel production performance. The findings suggest that both feature awareness and production should be considered when planning intervention.