Laci Watkins

A Review of Peer-Mediated Social Interaction Interventions for Students with Autism in Inclusive Settings

This review addresses the use of peer-mediated interventions (PMI) to improve the social interaction skills of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in inclusive settings. The purpose of this review is to (a) identify the characteristics and components of peer-mediated social interaction interventions, (b) evaluate the effectiveness of PMI by offering an analysis of intervention results and research design, and (c) suggest directions for future research. Overall, results suggest that PMI is a promising treatment for increasing social interaction in children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD in inclusive settings, with positive generalization, maintenance, and social validity outcomes. Findings also suggest that participant characteristics and the type of social deficit an individual exhibits are important considerations when choosing the optimal configuration of PMI strategies.

Evidence-Based Social Communication Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Adapting communication styles is important

Increasing the Vocalizations of Individuals with Autism during Intervention with a Speech-Generating Device.

This study aimed to teach individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and limited vocal speech to emit target vocalizations while using a speech-generating device (SGD). Of the 4 participants, 3 began emitting vocal word approximations with SGD responses after vocal instructional methods (delays, differential reinforcement, prompting) were introduced. Two participants met mastery criterion with a reinforcer delay and differential reinforcement, and 1 met criterion after fading an echoic model and prompt delay. For these participants, vocalizations initiated before speech outputs were shown to increase, and vocalizations generalized to a context in which the SGD was absent. The 4th participant showed high vocalization rates only when prompted. The results suggest that adding vocal instruction to an SGD-based intervention can increase vocalizations emitted along with SGD responses for some individuals with ASD.

Assessing the acquisition of requesting a variety of preferred items using different speech generating device formats for children with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT Five children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were taught to request preferred items using four different augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) displays on an iPad®-based speech-generating device (SGD). Acquisition was compared using multi-element designs. Displays included a symbol-based grid, a photo image with embedded hotspots, a hybrid (photo image with embedded hotspots and symbols), and a pop-up symbol grid. Three participants mastered requesting items from a field of four with at least three displays, and one mastered requesting items in a field of two. The fifth participant did not acquire requests in a field of preferred items. Individualized display effects were present, and the photo image appeared to have provided the most consistent advantages for three participants. Some errors were more or less common with specific displays and/or participants. The results have important implications for AAC assessment and implementation protocols.

Systematic review of collateral effects of focused interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder

A collateral intervention effect refers to changes in behaviors which were not directly targeted during intervention. Using predetermined search and inclusion procedures, this systematic review identified 46 studies involving children with autism spectrum disorder and 14 desirable collateral effects across multiple domains of functioning. Collateral effects were associated with: (a) interventions involving naturalistic behavioral strategies; (b) participants with limited communication and/or cognitive deficits; (c) performance deficits (i.e. there was some evidence of the collateral behavior in baseline); and (d) interventions directly targeting play, communication, joint attention, and/or stereotypy. Overall, this systematic review indicates that collateral effects arising from focused interventions warrant consideration by practitioners during intervention planning and require additional research to identify mechanisms responsible for the observed changes.

Research involving anxiety in non-human primates has potential implications for the assessment and treatment of anxiety in autism spectrum disorder: A translational literature review

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this translational review (i.e. moving from basic primate research toward possible human applications) was to summarize non-human primate literature on anxiety to inform the development of future assessments of anxiety in non-verbal individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: Systematic searches of databases identified 67 studies that met inclusion criteria. Each study was analysed and summarised in terms of (a) strategies used to evoke anxiety, (b) non-verbal behavioural indicators of anxiety and (c) physiological indicators of anxiety. Results: Eighteen strategies were used to evoke anxiety, 48 non-verbal behavioural indicators and 17 physiological indicators of anxiety were measured. Conclusions: A number of the strategies used with non-human primates, if modified carefully, could be considered in the ongoing effort to study anxiety in individuals with ASD. Potential applications to the assessment of anxiety in humans with ASD are discussed.

Effects of video-enhanced activity schedules on academic skills and collateral behaviors in children with autism

Objectives: The effects of iPod-based visual activity schedules with embedded video models (video-enhanced activity schedules) on the academic skills and challenging behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were evaluated. Methods: A multiple baseline design across three target skills was used with two participants, ages 9 and 11, to assess the effects on academic skill acquisition (e.g. calculating fractions and percentages, identifying synonyms). Additionally, we assessed for potential iatrogenic effects of using a highly preferred electronic device in intervention by measuring engagement in stereotypy and challenging behavior. Results: Video-enhanced activity schedules were effective in teaching both participants to independently complete a variety of academic skills. Generalization across untaught stimuli and four-week maintenance of academic skill improvement was observed. Undesirable increases in stereotypy were not observed and challenging behavior improved over the course of the study. Conclusion: Video-enhanced activity schedules may represent an efficient treatment option for teaching new skills which reduces the need for teacher-delivered prompts and increases the independence of children with ASD.

This study presents a promising assistive technology intervention for individuals with Rett syndrome. Replication and extension is warranted to explore its generality for enabling choice making

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Stasolla, F., Perilli, V., Di Leone, A., Damiani, R., Albano, V., Stella, A., & Damato, C. (2015). Technological aids to support choice strategies by three girls with Rett syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 36, 36–44. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: Funding sources not reported. No disclosure of interests reported.

Inborn and Acquired Brain and Physical Disabilities

Abstract In this chapter, we describe the application of interventions, based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), to individuals with a variety of intellectual and physical disabilities. ABA has an extensive and successful record in terms of developing evidence-based effective interventions for individuals with a variety of disabilities. In fact, the application of ABA with these populations is so diverse it would warrant several volumes to describe it in adequate detail. Within the confines of this chapter we have elected to give just a flavor of the wide variety of applied issues addressed with this broad population. The chapter is divided into four sections to reflect four broad categories of disability—inborn brain disorders, acquired brain disabilities, inborn physical disabilities, and, finally, acquired physical disabilities. Each of the four sections begins with a definition of the disability and then describes three or four empirically evaluated applied behavioral interventions.