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| International Paper Session - Discrimination Training and Fluency |
| Saturday, May 26, 2007 |
| 4:00 PM–4:50 PM |
| Elizabeth F |
| Area: AUT |
| Chair: Rafal J. Kawa (University of Warsaw) |
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| One-Term vs. Two-Term Conditional Discrimination Training: Programming for Recombinative Generalization in Children with Autism. |
| Domain: Applied Research |
| RAFAL J. KAWA (University of Warsaw), Monika M. Suchowierska (Warsaw School of Social Psychology) |
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| Abstract: Generative responding is a very important objective in programming therapy for children with autism. Recombinative generalization is an essential process in establishing generative responding during language acquisition. Recombinative generalization refers to correct responding to novel stimuli that comprise of known elements. Two methods of programming for recombinative generalization in children with autism are compared: a one-term discrimination training vs. a two-term conditional discrimination training. In the experiment, a child with autism was taught to identify (receptively) 22 pictures described by a two-word phrase (profession + action). The taught phrases were a part of two matrices consisting of a total of 72 phrases (36 for each matrix). The terms to be taught were arranged in 8 sets. Within sets, the terms had overlapping elements denoting the profession (e.g., postman cutting, postman repairing) or denoting the action (e.g., cook spraying, agent spraying). Tests for recombinative generalization determined whether children identified correctly novel pictures that were constructed by recombining elements denoting profession and action in ways that had not been directly trained. During two-term discrimination training, the child could not master any of the matrix sets. After the final test the child identified correctly high percentages of untrained combinations taught, using the one-term discrimination method. |
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| Using Fluency-Based Instruction to Improve Literacy Skills for a Child with Autism. |
| Domain: Applied Research |
| DANUSIA PAWSKA (ACHIEVE FLUENCY), Christine C. Cukar-Capizzi (ACHIEVE FLUENCY) |
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| Abstract: Children with autism often present significant delays in complex
literacy skills involved in reading comprehension such as retelling
the main events of a story, sequencing events, making predictions and
identifying main events of stories. Strengthening the component
skills that support these more complex skills, such as describing main
events of pictures and others, may improve their reading
comprehension. We will present the effects of an intervention package
that included direct instruction methods and fluency-based instruction
on reading comprehension for an elementary school student with autism. Several component-composite analyses were done and pinpoints were identified for instruction and fluency-building. Skill sets were selected and materials were developed to use with regular education curriculum. Performance data collected throughout instruction will be presented to show progress on the skills that were taught. The implications for the use of fluency-based instruction integrated within regular education language arts materials will be discussed. |
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