Imaging technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) present unparalleled opportunities to investigate the neural basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, challenges such as deficits in social interaction, anxiety around new experiences, impaired language abilities, and hypersensitivity to…

The Transform Autism Education (TAE) project is a tri-national teacher training scheme involving Greece, Italy and the UK, whose purpose is to set up training projects to facilitate the educational inclusion of autistic children. Running over three years from 2014 to 2017, the involvement of autistic participants has been the source of some…

The picture exchange communication system (PECS) is a functional communication system frequently used with individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders who experience severe language delays (Frost & Bondy, 2002). Few empirical investigations have evaluated strategies for training direct care staff how to effectively implement PECS with…

Literature regarding fathers of children with autism remains sparse, and because mothers are the more common intervening parent, few training methods have focused on fathers. Thus, we sought to evaluate effects of in-home training directed at fathers and their ability to train mothers in the same manner in which they were trained. Fathers were…

We evaluated the efficacy of a vocational training program including behavioral skills training, and a "performance cue system" (i.e., a proprietary iPhone application adapted for the study) to teach targeted social-vocational skills to six young adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. In two separate studies, participants were employed…

Children with autism exhibit significant deficits in their ability to spontaneously imitate the play actions and descriptive gestures of others. Reciprocal imitation training (RIT) is a naturalistic imitation intervention designed to teach spontaneous imitation skills during play. This study assessed the effectiveness of parent-implemented RIT…

The study evaluated a reinforcement theory of stereotyped behavior with six autistic students (ages 9-16). Three students evidenced decreases in stereotypy and increases in responding in the presence of usual reinforcers, while the other three students required external suppression of stereotypy before increases in responding were shown.…

The study compared the effectiveness and efficiency of constant time delay and system of least prompts in teaching two eight-year-old students with autism to name numerals. Results indicated that both procedures were effective but the constant time-delay procedure was more efficient with these two subjects. (Author/DB)

Four nonverbal autistic boys (ages 11-16) were successfully taught sign language action-object phrases following an intervention composed of prompting, fading, stimulus rotation, and differential reinforcement. The skill generalized to new situations. (Author/DB)

The study with 60 autistic children (between 3 and 9-years-old) found that children with high-verbal imitation skill did equally well in any of four different modes of language training presentation while those with low-verbal imitation skill did less well in all modes and poorest in the speech-alone condition. (Author/DB)

This study evaluated the efficiency of an eight-hour parent training course for parents (n=32) of autistic children in Singapore. Parents evaluated the training methods (with theoretical, applied, and emotional bases) positively in terms of usefulness and comfort. The assumption that Asians would not be comfortable sharing their problems was not…

Results of a "loose training" prompting tactic to teach an autistic 11-year-old boy to initiate interactions with his peers resulted in increased spontaneous interactions (1) with training peers in nontraining, generalization sessions and (2) with nontraining peers in generalization sessions. (Author/DB)

The study compared the efficacy and setting generalization of sensory extinction and overcorrection in suppressing self-stimulation in two autistic children (ages 7- and 12-years-old). Results indicated that sensory extinction significantly decreased self stimulation in the structured setting but did not generalize to other settings.…

A communication program for autistic children (three to six years old) which increased communication skills in the context of establishing reciprocal communication exchanges involving intensive modeling of verbal responses within joint activity routines and reinforcement based on fulfilling the intent of the child's communication. (Author/CL)

The study evaluated the effects of a time-efficient reinforcer assessment package with three preschoolers with autism. Systematic assessment of children's reinforcers for correct responding virtually eliminated nontargeted maladaptive behaviors, and yielded expected improvements in accuracy. (Author/DB)