A lack of functional communication negatively impacts a student's academic and social-emotional success. Schools are in the position to create systems and protocols that would allow students to be taught a method to communicate functionally. This dissertation project sought to answer the question: How can early childhood students with no verbal…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if the RIRD intervention is effective in reducing vocal stereotypy in an individual with an autism spectrum disorder in the natural classroom setting with and without immediate reinforcement. The RRBs displayed by individuals with ASD may have a negative effect on the individual's ability to…

Elementary students who demonstrate accuracy and speed in handwriting are better equipped to generate higher quality, longer composition. Unfortunately, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to encounter significant difficulties with legibility, size, and speed of handwriting. The present study used a single-subject, multiple-baseline…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder in which individuals experience deficits in communication, restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, as well as social interaction and reciprocity (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). For adolescents with autism, anxiety often interferes with these symptoms making them…

The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of a peer-mediated intervention on the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in the classroom. Three high school students from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) background receiving Special Education services with an autism eligibility and participated. A concurrent…

High prevalence of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the legislation movement impacted the placement of students with ASD in general education settings. Hence, the increase raised the need to conduct research for ASD populations, and to examine the effectiveness of these interventions. With the increase of single case-design…

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children has increased dramatically during the last decade. Deficits in social communication and interaction have been identified as recognized impairments for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In response to these issues, new behavioral interventions have been developed as…

This study examined the use of a peer-mediated instruction and intervention model (PMI) in combination with priming and the use of a visual activity checklist as a way of supporting the academic engagement and social interactions of secondary students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study employed the use of a multiple-baseline across…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disability characterized by social communication deficits, repetitive and restrictive behaviors, and language and communication deficits. Its prevalence among the general population has led to increased efforts to intervene effectively during childhood and adolescence. Prior quantitative and qualitative research…

AutismSpeaks.org estimated that a total of 1.1 million teens with autism will enter adulthood in the next decade (Autism Speaks, n.d.). Unfortunately, research shows many of those individuals will have bleak outcomes in life postsecondary (Lake et al., 2014; Posar & Visconti, 2018). This issue will compound without proper resources and…

Assistive Technology (AT) has become an important tool used by special needs children for improving their quality of life by empowering their abilities, therefore improving their personal independence. The purpose of this Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study was to closely examine the experiences and meaning-making of parents, of…

The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be difficult to manage for any individual. In addition to typical adjustments, additional challenges for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have included living at home for longer, isolating themselves socially, and struggling to find the motivation to seek employment and/or education.…

Families that have children with ASD may experience increased stress due to a variety of factors, one of these factors being managing difficult behaviors. One area of behavioral difficulty that children with ASD experience is transitioning between activities. The Social Story is one intervention that has been studied as a transition support both…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of students with Level I Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who were involved with transition planning which resulted in ongoing services after high school. This study sought to understand student and parental perspectives of the value and impact of the facets of transition planning.…

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience higher rates of unemployment and underemployment than any other disability category. Employment may play an important role in the development of self-worth for people with ASD. Some people with ASD require workplace accommodations. Technology-based accommodations may be one solution for helping…