Teaching Autistic Children to Use Extra-Stimulus Prompts
Document Type
Article
Department
Psychology (CMC)
Publication Date
1982
Abstract
Autistic children often do not transfer from extra-stimulus prompts, and thus do not utilize a frequent learning aid. It has been hypothesized that this is due to stimulus overselectivity; a failure to respond to simultaneous multiple cues. This study was designed to determine if autistic children who initially respond only to single cues can be taught a set to respond to two cues and subsequently utilize an extra-stimulus (pointing) prompt. Four autistic children were pretested to determine if they could learn a complex visual discrimination by either trial and error or an extra-stimulus prompt fading procedure. Since they did not, the children were then taught to respond to two cues through a multiple-cue training procedure and subsequently tested to determine if they could now utilize a pointing prompt. Results indicated that while all four children initially did not transfer from an extra-stimulus (pointing) prompt, they did so subsequent to multiple-cue training. The results are discussed in terms of implications for treatment (remediating overselectivity) and in relation to normal child development.
Rights Information
© 1982 Elsevier
Terms of Use & License Information
DOI
10.1016/0022-0965(82)90060-1
Recommended Citation
Laura Schreibman, Marjorie H. Charlop, Robert L. Koegel, Teaching autistic children to use extra-stimulus prompts, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Volume 33, Issue 3, June 1982, Pages 475-491, ISSN 0022-0965, 10.1016/0022-0965(82)90060-1. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022096582900601)
