Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

Peer-mediated instruction and intervention (PMII) is a systematic, evidence-based method for addressing the social-communication needs of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite existing research on this practice, gaps remain in the implementation of PMII. The purpose of this empirical review was to examine recent applications of this evidence-based practice and systematically assess the quality of the analytic approaches implemented. Recent studies selected for this review included participants with ASD and targeted social-communication skills. The Scientific Merit Rating Scale (SMRS) was used to review the quality of the research studies, and the results suggest that PMII continues to be an effective practice. These results indicate that future research should focus on larger study Ns, particularly for those who are preschool-age, and include measures of generalization and maintenance as well as treatment integrity measures of peers’ actions. The effectiveness of PMII relative to positive developmental outcomes is discussed.

In the current study, we examined the effects of response prompting strategies (i.e., constant time delay, system of least prompts) and frames on sentence writing for three participants, ages 7 to 12, with moderate intellectual disability. We used a concurrent multiple probe across behaviors design to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention package and posttest probes to assess generalized responding to untrained stimulation. During intervention, the teacher taught two students to construct sentences using selection-based software and another to generate handwritten responses across three different writing frames (i.e., I want _________, I see _____, The _____ is ______). Our findings suggest that the package was effective and produced variable levels of maintenance and generalized responding for all three participants.

As increasing literature emerges to address text comprehension deficits for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), educators often struggle to design interventions resulting in successful generalization of comprehension skills. This evaluative review of literature explored the inclusion of and methods used in generalization of text comprehension research for students with ASD. Authors examined 32 studies across content areas (e.g., English language arts [ELA], math, science) to investigate the following questions: (a) To what extent is generalization addressed across content areas for students with ASD? (b) How did the studies program for generalization? (c) What conclusions can be inferred about effective generalization methods? and (d) Can quality indicators be recommended for generalization methods for text comprehension? Recommendations for quality indicators for generalization measures and strategies are suggested based on the findings from the current review. Implications for future research and instructional practice are also discussed.

Social skills training programs have increasingly enlisted same-age typical peers as instructors in the teaching of social skills to children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The inclusion of peers in the teaching process has been found to be a critical component in these programs. Despite strong support for incorporating peers in social skills programs, there are few guidelines for training peers. The present study examined a treatment package to teach typical school-aged children skills to become peer models. A multiple baseline across behaviors research design was implemented using components of behavioral skills training to teach (a) initiating verbal interactions, (b) prompting for targeted skills, and (c) delivery of praise. The peer models quickly acquired the skill of initiating verbal interactions; however, posting of data, prompting, and additional contingencies were needed to maintain and generalize prompting for targeted skills and delivery of praise with novel children.

Little is known about how internalizing symptoms in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affect family outcomes, despite the high rates of internalizing disorders in ASD and the dynamic relationships among child, parent, and family variables. We evaluated the predictive value of internalizing symptoms in 69 adolescents with ASD and average-range cognitive abilities on family impact. In addition, we examined the correspondence between parent and child symptom ratings. Results indicated that internalizing symptoms predict family impact above IQ and externalizing symptoms. Depression (but not anxiety) predicted more positive family functioning, and parents rated more internalizing symptoms than adolescents. The results are contrary to our initial predictions, and we offer several explanations for this difference. Differences between parent and child ratings of internalizing symptoms are also explored.

There have been few examples of inductive research in sensory reactivity, particularly in relation to autistic traits among the general population. This study used a mixed methods approach to explore the nature of sensory experiences among people with different levels of autistic traits. Participants completed the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire and the Autism Spectrum Quotient. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed on the data. Responses to the open questions were analyzed as part of this study, and the closed questionnaire data have been reported elsewhere. Data were coded and responses quantitatively compared by group. In addition, data were qualitatively analyzed using a general inductive approach, which resulted in two themes: “problematic sensory experiences” and “calming sensory experiences.” Results show that coping mechanisms and certain aspects of the sensory experience vary according to autistic trait level, and provide insight into the nature of sensory reactivity across the general population.