Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-fnpn6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-30T05:17:30.918Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Teaching a Student With Autism Spectrum Disorder On-Topic Conversational Responses With an iPad: A Pilot Study*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2016

Cheong Ying Sng ,
Mark Carter  and
Jennifer Stephenson
Cheong Ying Sng*
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
Mark Carter
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
Jennifer Stephenson
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
*
Correspondence: Cheong Ying Sng, Macquarie University Special Education Centre, Building X5A, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia. Email: ying.sng@mq.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Scripts in written or auditory form have been used to teach conversational skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but with the proliferation of handheld tablet devices the scope to combine these 2 formats has broadened. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate if a script-based intervention, presented on an iPad conversational app, would be effective in teaching basic conversation skills within a school setting. A multiple baseline with probe design across scripts was employed to teach a student with ASD on-topic responses. Experimental control was demonstrated across 2 of the 3 baselines. Surprisingly, a substantial degree of generalisation was evident, which may have compromised demonstration of experimental control. This app may be a practical and effective tool for teaching on-topic responses to an individual with ASD, and further research is warranted.

Keywords

iPadscriptsconversationtablet deviceautism spectrum disorder
Type
Original Articles
Information
Australasian Journal of Special Education , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , July 2017 , pp. 18 - 34
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

This manuscript was accepted under the Editorship of Michael Arthur-Kelly.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.Google Scholar
Banda, D. R., Copple, K. S., Koul, R. K., Sancibrian, S. L., & Bogschutz, R. J. (2010). Video modelling interventions to teach spontaneous requesting using AAC devices to individuals with autism: A preliminary investigation. Disability and Rehabilitation, 32, 1364–1372. doi:10.3109/09638280903551525 Google Scholar
Baron-Cohen, S. (1995). Mindblindness: An essay on autism and theory of mind. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bauminger, N., Shulman, C., & Agam, G. (2003). Peer interaction and loneliness in high-functioning children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33, 489–507. doi:10.1023/A:1025827427901 Google Scholar
Blood, E., Johnson, J. W., Ridenour, L., Simmons, K., & Crouch, S. (2011). Using an iPod Touch to teach social and self-management skills to an elementary student with emotional/behavioral disorders. Education and Treatment of Children, 34, 299–321. doi:10.1353/etc.2011.0019 Google Scholar
Brown, J. L., Krantz, P. J., McClannahan, L. E., & Poulson, C. L. (2008). Using script fading to promote natural environment stimulus control of verbal interactions among youths with autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2, 480–497. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2007.08.006 Google Scholar
Carpenter, M., & Tomasello, M. (2000). Joint attention, cultural learning, and language acquisition: Implications for children with autism. In Wetherby, A. M. & Prizant, B. M. (Eds.), Autism spectrum disorders: A transactional developmental perspective (pp. 31–54). Baltimore, MD: Brookes.Google Scholar
Charlop, M. H., Dennis, B., Carpenter, M. H., & Greenberg, A. L. (2010). Teaching socially expressive behaviors to children with autism through video modeling. Education and Treatment of Children, 33, 371–393. doi:10.1353/etc.0.0104 Google Scholar
Charlop, M. H., Gilmore, L., & Chang, G. T. (2008). Using video modeling to increase variation in the conversation of children with autism. Journal of Special Education Technology, 23 (3), 47–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Charlop, M. H., & Milstein, J. P. (1989). Teaching autistic children conversational speech using video modeling. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 22, 275–285. doi:10.1901/jaba.1989.22-275 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Charlop-Christy, M. H., & Kelso, S. E. (2003). Teaching children with autism conversational speech using a cue card/written script program. Education and Treatment of Children, 26, 108–127.Google Scholar
Church, C., Alisanski, S., & Amanullah, S. (2000). The social, behavioral, and academic experiences of children with Asperger syndrome. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 15, 12–20. doi:10.1177/108835760001500102 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cihak, D. F., Kessler, K. B., & Alberto, P. A. (2007). Generalized use of a handheld prompting system. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 28, 397–408. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2006.05.003 Google Scholar
Davis, C. A., Reichle, J., Southard, K., & Johnston, S. (1998). Teaching children with severe disabilities to utilize nonobligatory conversational opportunities: An application of high-probability requests. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 23, 57–68. doi:10.2511/rpsd.23.1.57 Google Scholar
Dixon, D. R., Tarbox, J., & Najdowski, A. (2009). Social skills in autism spectrum disorders. In Matson, J. L. (Ed.), Social behavior and skills in children (pp. 117–140). New York, NY: Springer Science Business Media.Google Scholar
Douglas, K. H., Wojcik, B. W., & Thompson, J. R. (2012). Is there an app for that? Journal of Special Education Technology, 27 (2), 59–70. doi:10.1177/016264341202700206 Google Scholar
Edmister, E., & Wegner, J. (2015). Repeated reading, turn taking, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 62, 319–338. doi:10.1080/1034912X.2015.1020920 Google Scholar
Fernández-López, A., Rodríguez-Fórtiz, M. J., Rodríguez-Almendros, M. L., & Martínez-Segura, M. J. (2013). Mobile learning technology based on iOS devices to support students with special education needs. Computers & Education, 61, 77–90. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.09.014 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gentry, T., Wallace, J., Kvarfordt, C., & Lynch, K. B. (2010). Personal digital assistants as cognitive aids for high school students with autism: Results of a community-based trial. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 32, 101–107. doi:10.3233/JVR-2010-0499 Google Scholar
Gerhardt, P. F., & Holmes, D. L. (2005). Employment: Options and issues for adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders. In Volkmar, F. R., Paul, R., Klin, A., & Cohen, D. (Eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (3rd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 650–664). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. doi:10.1002/9780470939352.ch17 Google Scholar
Goldstein, H. (2002). Communication intervention for children with autism: A review of treatment efficacy. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32, 373–396. doi:10.1023/A:1020589821992 Google Scholar
Hobson, R. P. (1986). The autistic child's appraisal of expressions of emotion. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 27, 321–342. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1986.tb01836.x Google Scholar
Kagohara, D. M., van der Meer, L., Ramdoss, S., O'Reilly, M. F., Lancioni, G. E., Davis, T. N., . . . Sigafoos, J. (2013). Using iPods® and iPads® in teaching programs for individuals with developmental disabilities: A systematic review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34, 147–156. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2012.07.027 Google Scholar
Klinger, L. G., & Williams, A. (2009). Cognitive-behavioral interventions for students with autism spectrum disorders. In Mayer, M. J., Van Acker, R., Lochman, J. E., & Gresham, F. M. (Eds.), Cognitive-behavioral interventions for emotional and behavioral disorders: School-based practice (pp. 328–362). New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Kyparissos, N. (1996). Extending conversations among adolescent peers with autism (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 9707120)Google Scholar
Lee, R. (2006). The effects of script-fading and a Lag-1 schedule on varied social responding in children with autism (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3231983)Google Scholar
Lorah, E. R., Tincani, M., Dodge, J., Gilroy, S., Hickey, A., & Hantula, D. (2013). Evaluating picture exchange and the iPad™ as a speech generating device to teach communication to young children with autism. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 25, 637–649. doi:10.1007/s10882-013-9337-1 Google Scholar
Losh, M., & Capps, L. (2003). Narrative ability in high-functioning children with autism or Asperger's syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33, 239–251. doi:10.1023/A:1024446215446 Google Scholar
Loveland, K. A., & Tunali-Kotoski, B. (2005). The school-age child with an autistic spectrum disorder. In Volkmar, F. R., Paul, R., Klin, A., & Cohen, D. J. (Eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (3rd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 247–287). New Jersey, NY: Wiley. doi:10.1002/9780470939345.ch9 Google Scholar
Ricks, D. M., & Wing, L. (1975). Language, communication, and the use of symbols in normal and autistic children. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 5, 191–221. doi:10.1007/BF01538152 Google Scholar
Roid, G. H. (2003). Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition. Itasca, IL: Riverside.Google Scholar
Rump, K. M., Giovannelli, J. L., Minshew, N. J., & Strauss, M. S. (2009). The development of emotion recognition in individuals with autism. Child Development, 80, 1434–1447. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01343.x Google Scholar
Sansosti, F. J., & Powell-Smith, K. A. (2008). Using computer-presented Social Stories and video models to increase the social communication skills of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10, 162–178. doi:10.1177/1098300708316259 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Santos, R. M., & Kraft, B. L. (1997). Integrating research on effective instruction with instruction in the natural environment for young children with disabilities. Exceptionality, 7, 97–129. doi:10.1207/s15327035ex0702_2 Google Scholar
Schopler, E., Van Bourgondien, M. E., Wellman, G. J., & Love, S. R. (2010). Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS-2). Torrance, CA: Western Psychological Services.Google Scholar
Shattuck, P. T., Orsmond, G. I., Wagner, M., & Cooper, B. P. (2011). Participation in social activities among adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder. PLoS One, 6 (11), 1–9. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027176 Google Scholar
Sherer, M., Pierce, K. L., Paredes, S., Kisacky, K. L., Ingersoll, B., & Schreibman, L. (2001). Enhancing conversation skills in children with autism via video technology: Which is better, “self” or “other” as a model? Behavior Modification, 25, 140–158. doi:10.1177/0145445501251008 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shillingsburg, M. A., Valentino, A. L., Bowen, C. N., Bradley, D., & Zavatkay, D. (2011). Teaching children with autism to request information. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5, 670–679. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2010.08.004 Google Scholar
Sng, C. Y., Carter, M., & Stephenson, J. (2014). A review of video modelling and scripts in teaching conversational skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1, 110–123. doi:10.1007/s40489-013-0010-5 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sparrow, S. S., Cicchetti, D. V., & Balla, D. A. (2005). Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Second Edition (Vineland-II). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Services.Google Scholar
Stephenson, J., & Limbrick, L. (2015). A review of the use of touch-screen mobile devices by people with developmental disabilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 3777–3791. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1878-8 Google Scholar
Stevenson, C. L., Krantz, P. J., & McClannahan, L. E. (2000). Social interaction skills for children with autism: A script-fading procedure for nonreaders. Behavioral Interventions, 15, 1–20. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-078X(200001/03)15:1<1::AID-BIN41>3.0.CO;2-V 3.0.CO;2-V>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomaino, M. A. E. (2011). Teaching conversation to children with autism: Assessment of the efficacy of a parent-implemented script procedure (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3449924)Google Scholar
Twachtman-Cullen, D. (2000). More able children with autism spectrum disorders: Sociocommunicative challenges and guidelines for enhancing abilities. In Wetherby, A. M. & Prizant, B. M. (Eds.), Autism spectrum disorders: A transactional developmental perspective (pp. 225–249). Baltimore, MD: Brookes.Google Scholar
Van Laarhoven, T., Johnson, J. W., Van Laarhoven-Myers, T., Grider, K. L., & Grider, K. M. (2009). The effectiveness of using a video iPod as a prompting device in employment settings. Journal of Behavioral Education, 18, 119–141. doi:10.1007/s10864-009-9077-6 Google Scholar
Wang, A. T., Lee, S. S., Sigman, M., & Dapretto, M. (2007). Reading affect in the face and voice: Neural correlates of interpreting communicative intent in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64, 698–708. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.64.6.698 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wichnick, A. M., Vener, S. M., Pyrtek, M., & Poulson, C. L. (2010). The effect of a script-fading procedure on responses to peer initiations among young children with autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4, 290–299. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2009.09.016 Google Scholar