Learning by doing and learning by observing are two facets of the tight coupling between perception and action discovered at the brain level. Developmental studies of observational learning still remain rare and even more rare are studies documenting the capacities of low-functioning children with autism to learn by observation. In the first…

A skill essential for successful inclusion in general education settings is the ability to learn by observing others. Research, however, has documented children with autism display significant deficits in the fundamental skills necessary for observational learning. This article outlines the skills essential for observational learning from an…

Two experiments investigated whether six individuals (ages 7-64) with developmental disabilities or autism would demonstrate stimulus classes after observing another individual demonstrate the prerequisite conditional discriminations. Results found that stimulus class technology, coupled with observation, may be an economical and efficient means…