As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder continues to rise, there is a growing demand for well-trained service providers to provide behavior analytic interventions. With this increased service need comes the necessity to develop new and efficient training methods as an alternative to traditional face-to-face training. This paper provides a…

Social communication skills are considered a core deficit in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Evidence-based practices that have emerged to address these critical skills in children with ASD have largely been implemented by researchers, teachers, and parents. Only recently have researchers studied paraprofessionals as…

In this review, the authors include 23 studies where researchers experimentally evaluated training for teachers of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Authors summarized qualitative information on study and participant characteristics. Next, variables related to teacher practice and student learning targets were categorized based on…

The following article reviews the current literature addressing toilet training individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. The review addresses programs typical to toilet training the developmental disability population, most of which are modeled after the original Foxx and Azrin [Azrin, N. H., & Foxx, R. M. (1971). A rapid…

This article on the use of applied behavior analysis with students who have autism focuses on discrete trial training (DTT) to develop new forms of behavior, new discriminations, advanced skills, and manage disruptive behavior. Cautions include the need to combine the method with other interventions, provide intensive DTT during early phases of…

This article describes functional communication training (FCT) with students who have autism. FCT involves teaching alternative communication strategies to replace problem behaviors. The article reviews the conditions under which this intervention is successful and compares the method with other behavioral approaches. It concludes that functional…

This article examines applied behavior analysis (ABA) based communication instruction for students with autism. It offers an historical context for ABA in speech-language pathology and reviews the literature on the use of ABA as a treatment method for communication impairment in autism, comparing contemporary ABA with the developmental…

This review of research examines investigations that have focused on the effect of reinforcer specificity on the acquisition of both language comprehension and production skills by learners with severe handicaps. Issues regarding the use of intervention strategies that employ reinforcer specificity are discussed. (Author/JW)

The paper reviews the literature on the training of social behavior in autistic children and reports on a project which developed and evaluated a program which explicitly trained mildly handicapped peers to facilitate the social behavior of autistic children. The extensive literature review looks at the etiology of social deficits in autistic…

The article describes the use of interrupted behavior chains to teach communication skills in natural settings with autistic students. Empirical and theoretical bases for the training strategy are explained as are specific procedures for implementing the strategy. Implications of the strategy for classroom organization and service delivery are…

This paper reviews research on disturbances of children with developmental delays and handicaps in responding to complex stimuli, suggesting that such disturbances may deleteriously influence behavioral/neurophysiological development. Intervention programs for teaching children with autism a generalized set to use in responding to complex…