Jennifer R. Ledford

Feeding Problems in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders A Review

Many parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) report that their children have feeding problems. A body of literature targeted toward parents of children with ASD includes information about possible interventions for this problem. Most intervention suggestions within this literature have been only anecdotally reported to be effective; few research studies have addressed maladaptive feeding behaviors in children with ASD. This review synthesizes current research regarding the types of feeding problems and interventions used with children with ASD. In addition, the authors briefly discuss the literature on treating feeding problems in other populations as a means of comparison. They also point out differences in empirically supported treatments and treatments used by parents for aberrant feeding behaviors in children with ASD.

Single Case Research Methodology : Applications in Special Education and Behavioral Sciences

Chapter 1 Applied Research in Education and Behavioral Sciences, David L. Gast & Jennifer R. Ledford Chapter 2 Scientific Research in Educational and Clinical Settings, David L. Gast & James W. Tawney Chapter 3 Ethical Principles and Practices in Research, Linda Mechling, David L. Gast, & Justin Lane Chapter 4 Writing Tasks: Literature Reviews, Research Proposals, and Final Reports, Mark Wolery & Kathleen L. Lane Chapter 5 Scientific Research in Educational and Clinical Settings, David L. Gast & Jennifer R. Ledford Chapter 6 Replication, David L. Gast Chapter 7 Dependent Measures and Measurement Systems, Kevin Ayres & Jennifer R. Ledford Chapter 8 Visual Representation of Data, Amy D. Spriggs, Justin Lane, & David L. Gast Chapter 9 Visual Analysis of Graphic Data, David L. Gast & Amy D. Spriggs Chapter 10 Withdrawal and Reversal Designs, David L. Gast & Dianna H. Baekey Chapter 11 Multiple Baseline and Multiple Probe Designs, David L. Gast, Blair P. Lloyd, & Jennifer R. Ledford Chapter 12 Comparative and Other Designs, Mark Wolery, David L. Gast, & Jennifer R. Ledford Chapter 13 Combination and Other Designs, Jennifer R. Ledford & David L. Gast Chapter 14 Controversial and Critical Issues in Single Case Research, Jennifer R. Ledford, Mark Wolery, & David L. Gast

Using Response-prompting Procedures During Small-group Direct Instruction: Outcomes and Procedural Variations

Research was reviewed on small-group instruction for learners with disabilities. The review was conducted for articles published between 1990 and 2010 on the application of small-group direct instruction to teach discrete skills using prompting procedures. A total of 47 articles with 197 participants and 687 replications of effects was located. Small-group instruction was effective for 195 of 197 participants and across variations in implementation and contexts. Implementers were primarily special education personnel, and instruction typically occurred in special education settings. Rigorous designs were used in all studies, and fidelity was assessed in 46 of 47 studies and was uniformly high. Students consistently reached criterion on their own target behaviors, generalized those behaviors, maintained them, and learned the behaviors taught to their peers (when this was measured, which occurred in a majority of the studies). Future research should examine comparisons of procedural variables and promoting social behaviors between group mates.

Peer Modeling of Academic and Social Behaviors during Small-Group Direct Instruction:

The authors describe an intervention for 3 preschoolers with disabilities who had low peer-related social competence. The intervention taught academic skills tailored to the need of each target student in small groups (triads) with two typically developing peers, using a progressive time delay procedure. Prior to instruction and separate from the students with disabilities, typical peers learned to provide reinforcers for correct responses, and to say “thank you” when a group mate shared. The authors assessed the acquisition of sharing and thanking behaviors during instructional sessions by the preschoolers with disabilities and generalization of these social behaviors to contexts similar to classroom activities for all participants. Results were (a) all participants learned targeted academic behaviors; (b) all participants learned some academic behaviors taught to their peers; (c) participants without disabilities modeled sharing with high fidelity but modeled thanking with lower fidelity; (d) all participants with disabilities shared and less frequently said “thank you” during instructional sessions (although they were never prompted to do so); and (e) participants with and without disabilities shared in art and picnic activities and said “thank you” to a lesser extent, although they were not prompted to share or thank in these contexts.

Single-Case Experimental Methods Suggestions for Reporting

This editorial describes important issues in the reporting of studies using single case experimental methods. The intent is to provide authors with a short description of information that should be included in manuscripts using single case experimental methods and submitted to the Journal of Early Intervention. The editorial is organized by several questions, and these questions refer to the major sections of research reports. References are provided to give authors more detailed descriptions of single case methods and the reporting of studies using those methods.

Procedural Fidelity An Analysis of Measurement and Reporting Practices

A systematic analysis was conducted of measurement and reporting practices related to procedural fidelity in single-case research for the past 30 years. Previous reviews of fidelity primarily reported whether fidelity data were collected by authors; these reviews reported that collection was variable, but low across journals and over time. Results of this review indicate that fidelity data collection was variable across journals, but increasing over time. However, despite previous recommendations for doing so, authors of many studies failed to report when data were collected, for what behaviors, and for which participants. Recommendations include continued fidelity measurement, increased breadth of measurement, increased precision of measurement, and explicit reporting of fidelity data and measurement procedures by authors.

Teaching Imitation to Young Children With Disabilities: A Review of the Literature

Imitation is a primary means through which children learn new skills. Most children learn to imitate without being taught but some children with disabilities fail to develop or use imitation in the absence of direct instruction. The importance of teaching imitation to children with disabilities has been acknowledged, with studies appearing as early as the 1960s. Although recent studies regarding the nature of imitative abilities in children with disabilities have been published, relatively few intervention studies exist. The purpose of this review was to synthesize the literature on teaching young children with disabilities to imitate. Four distinct intervention types emerged. Suggestions for improving interventions include using specific prompting strategies; embedding instruction across activities; teaching imitation of multiple, salient models; and using reinforcing behaviors and materials. Future research is needed on questions regarding instructional sequence, effective instructional practices, and measurement and promotion of generalized imitation.

Observational Learning of Academic and Social Behaviors During Small-Group Direct Instruction:

Many studies have shown that small-group direct instruction is effective and efficient for teaching students with and without disabilities, although relatively few studies have been conducted with heterogeneous groups of preschool participants. In addition, previous studies have primarily assessed whether observational learning occurred for academic behaviors directly taught to peers. In this study, we assessed target and observational learning of both academic and sharing behaviors. Results show that children with and without disabilities learned all of their own target academic behaviors and at least some of their peers’ target academic behaviors, that children without disabilities learned to share by observing their typically developing peers do so, and that most participants generalized sharing to contexts similar to classroom activities.

Identifying Issues and Concerns With the Use of Interval-Based Systems in Single Case Research Using a Pilot Simulation Study:

Momentary time sampling (MTS), whole interval recording (WIR), and partial interval recording (PIR) are commonly used in applied research. We discuss potential difficulties with analyzing data when these systems are used and present results from a pilot simulation study designed to determine the extent to which these issues are likely to be problematic in the context of single case design studies. Results indicate that WIR and PIR may result in invalid effect size estimations. Although MTS more closely paralleled actual duration, it may induce variability in relatively short sessions, increasing the likelihood of Type II errors. Suggestions for practitioners, consumers, and researchers include careful use and reporting of data collected using interval-based systems and continued investigation of properties of these systems, particularly on the effects on effect size estimations.

The Iterative Use of Single Case Research Designs to Advance the Science of EI/ECSE.

Research in early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) is focused on identifying effective practices related to positive outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families. Individual responses to evidence-based practices are often variable, and non-responders are common. Single case research (SCR) might be particularly well suited to examining differences across participants given the dynamic nature of the methodology. The repeated measurement of behaviors and visual analysis of subsequent data allow researchers to continually monitor behavior and make necessary adaptations to ensure positive child outcomes. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the dynamic nature of single case research design (SCRD) and the utility of SCRD in the iterative development of adaptive evidence-based practices using three examples of SCR studies. Implications for research and practice in EI/ECSE are discussed.