Yoshihisa Ohtake

Improving the Manners of a Student with Autism: The effects of manipulating perspective holders in Social Stories™ – A pilot study

This pilot study investigated the impact of manipulating the value of perspective sentences on improving the manners of a student with autism spectrum disorders. Three types of perspective sentences (sentences held by unknown persons, those held by familiar persons, and those held by the most preferred person) were alternately added to a Social Story™ to determine which perspective sentences were the most effective in improving the student’s head and elbow positions during sitting at morning circle and lunch. Results indicated that the effectiveness of a Social Story™ did not seem to depend on whose perspectives the story used. Findings suggest that depicting only the perspectives of the most preferred person in the story may not be sufficiently powerful to change behaviours.

Repair Strategies Used by Elementary-Age Beginning Communicators With Autism A Preliminary Descriptive Study

This descriptive study extends previous studies on communication repairs by (a) involving elementary-age children With autism Who are prelinguistic to emergent one-Word communicators and (b) examining repair strategies in terms of the relationships betWeen the conventionality and functionality of communication forms and the type of breakdoWn. Communication initiations and repairs emitted by three students With autism Were observed in natural settings in Which communication breakdoWns Were intentionally introduced. The students repaired almost all the breakdoWns regardless of type. Furthermore, they repaired communication breakdoWns effectively by adding semantic categories. They Were likely to adjust their repair strategies according to the social meaning of “Without attention.” When they repaired communication breakdoWns by modifications, they Were more likely to use less-conventional forms. The results are discussed in relation to interventions in communication competence.

Using a Hero as a Model in Video Instruction to Improve the Daily Living Skills of an Elementary-aged Student with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study

The present pilot study investigated the impact of video hero modelling (VHM) on the daily living skills of an elementary-aged student with autism spectrum disorder. The VHM, in which a character much admired by the student exhibited a correct response, was shown to the participant immediately before the situation where he needed to exhibit the target behaviours. Results of a multiple-probe design across three behaviours showed that each of the three target behaviours improved only when the VHM was introduced. In addition, the participant and his teachers demonstrated positive attitudes toward the use of VHM. However, the teachers hesitated to develop the VHM by themselves due to the perceived complexity of the development process and time constraints.

Effects of Video Self-modelling Interventions on Reducing Task Avoidance Behaviours of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

This study investigated the effects of video self-modelling (VSM) on reducing task avoidance behaviours of four elementary-aged students with autism spectrum disorders. A multiple-probe design across participants showed that the performance of two of the four participants was positively changed immediately after the VSM interventions were implemented. The performance of one participant did not change positively until the original VSM was modified. The performance of another participant was not improved even after the modified VSM was implemented. In addition, improved attentiveness to the video did not necessarily lead to positive effects of the VSM interventions.

Repair Strategies Used by Verbal Students With Autism During Free Play

This study assessed the repair strategies used by verbal students with autism (N = 12) when faced with verbal requests for clarification, gestural requests, not attending and not responding, and wrong responses. Data were collected in request contexts contrived by the communication partner during free play. The results indicated that most of the students repaired more than 80% of the communication breakdowns. In addition, they tended to choose communication forms that reflected the social meaning of the breakdown. However, they were likely to rely on unconventional forms when they faced wrong response breakdowns.

Applying Video Hero Modelling and Praising to Transition-related Behaviours ‘Needing Development’ Exhibited by Students with Down Syndrome: A Preliminary Investigation

Abstract The present study examined the effectiveness of video hero modelling and praising (VHMP), which has been proved as effective in behaviour change for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), in improving the transition-related behaviours of two elementary-aged students with Down Syndrome (DS). Each participant watched a video in which she exhibited appropriate transition-related behaviours side by side with her hero in the setting where the target behaviours were expected to occur. In addition, the hero praised the student for exhibiting the target behaviours in the video. A multiple-baseline-across-settings design was utilised for one student and an AB design for the other to determine if VHMP contributed to their behaviour change. Results showed that their transition-related behaviours dramatically improved immediately after VHMP was introduced. These findings imply that VHMP can be applied to behaviour change not only for students with ASD but also for those with DS.