We examined the effects that constructed-response matching-to-sample (CRMTS) training using a series of overlapping-syllable word sets has on establishing generalized reading and spelling skills in three Japanese children with autism. All participants were proficient at reading single letter and matching picture to spoken word but had difficulties with generalized reading and spelling. We taught them to construct printed words to match printed words, spoken words , and pictures through CRMTS procedure. The results showed that all participants exhibited skills in not only spelling of trained words but also derived reading comprehension (e.g., matching pictures to printed words) . In addition, two participants performed well in generalized reading and spelling of untrained words. However, one participant was needed for an additional training procedure to establish generalized reading and spelling skills . We taught her to break a word into each syllable as a differential observing response to the sample in the CRMTS task. This procedure enabled the participant to establish generalized reading and spelling skills. The present study discusses the application of the CRMTS procedures using a series of overlapping-syllable word sets and differential observing responses is effective for acquisition of generalized reading and spelling skills in children with autism.
Children with autism often have difficulty in generative learning. Effective training program for generative learning in these children is needed. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of matrix training for generative spelling in two children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Matrix training is a procedure in which stimuli used in teaching are arranged with overlapping within-syllable units. After training with a Constructed-Response Matching to Sample (CRMTS) with matrix training, both participants' generative spelling was assessed by CRMTS test using untrained combinations of characters. In this study, spoken syllables (auditory stimuli) are presented as the sample stimulus, and written characters (visual stimuli) are presented as comparison stimuli in CRMTS task. As a result, both participants showed generative spelling by matrix training, however, one of the two participants needed additional matrix training. The results discussed the effectiveness of matrix training as a procedure for teaching generative spelling and some issues to be conducted in applying this procedure for Japanese reading and spelling in children with ASD.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate why children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to respond to tasks from their own perspective. The authors investigated the effects of explicitness of viewpoint on performance of spontaneous level 2 perspective-taking skills in six- to eight-year-old children with ASD.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted visual perspective-taking tasks with explicit and implicit instructions about the viewpoint to be used. Participants operated a toy car on a map while listening to the experimenter’s instructions. In the implicit condition, when the experimenter said “Turn right/left” at each intersection, the participants moved the car accordingly. Subsequently, in the explicit condition, the experimenter said “Look from the driver’s viewpoint and turn right/left” at each intersection.
Findings
In the implicit condition, the authors did not observe a clear developmental change in performance between six- and eight-year-old children in the ASD group. In contrast, performance in the ASD group improved under the explicit condition relative to that under the implicit condition.
Originality/value
The results suggest six- to eight-year-old children with ASD tend not to spontaneously use level 2 perspective-taking skills. Therefore, viewpoints should be explicitly instructed to children with ASD. In addition, it is also important to implement training to encourage spontaneous transitions from self-perspective to other-perspective under the implicit condition.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.