Discrete-trial instruction (DTI) is a teaching strategy that is often incorporated into early intensive behavioral interventions for children with autism. Researchers have investigated time- and cost-effective methods to train staff to implement DTI, including self-instruction manuals, video modeling, and interactive computer training (ICT). ICT combines the best components of self-instruction manuals and video models, and have the same benefits; however, there is limited research on this training method. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate ICT to teach university students to implement DTI with children with autism. All participants' teaching fidelity increased during both role-plays with an adult and instructional sessions with a child with autism. In addition, participants demonstrated an increase in teaching fidelity with untrained instructional programs. All participants were able to complete training in an average of 2 hr, and social validity ratings were high.

Sundberg and Michael (2011) reviewed the contributions of Skinner's (1957) Verbal Behavior to the treatment of language delays in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and discussed several aspects of interventions, including mand training, intraverbal repertoire development, and the importance of using Skinner's taxonomy of verbal behavior in the clinical context. In this article, we provide an update of Sundberg and Michael's review and expand on some discussion topics. We conducted a systematic review of studies that focused on Skinner's verbal operants in interventions for children with ASD that were published from 2001 to 2017 and discussed the findings in terms of journal source, frequency, and type of verbal operant studied.

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Repetitive behavior and delays in communication are core deficits of autism spectrum disorder. As a result, individuals with autism often engage in repetitive verbal behavior, and they may not vary their verbal behavior, even when the situation demands it. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a script training and discrimination training procedure on mand variability in preschoolers with autism.Participants were taught to vary their vocal mands in the presence of written scripts, a green placemat, and Lag schedule of reinforcement. They were also taught to not vary their vocal mands in the presence of the same written scripts and a red placemat. When the scripts were removed, all three participants continued to engage in varied manding in the presence of the Lag schedule of reinforcement and the green placemat. All three participants also did not vary their mands in the presence of the red placemat. When the Lag schedule of reinforcement was removed, two participants continued to engage in varied responding in the presence of the green placemat and unvaried responding in the iv presence of the red placemat. One participant did not engage in varied responding when the Lag schedule of reinforcement was removed. However, when the Lag schedule of reinforcement was re-introduced, varied responding re-emerged. Finally, all three participants demonstrated mand variability during snack sessions when their peers were present, and they maintained their varied manding after a 2-week follow-up. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether or not three preschoolers with autism would engage in varied or repetitive requests, depending on the situation.Participants were taught to respond in varied or repetitive requests in the presence of green and red placemats, respectively. Written sentences were also available on each placemat to help participants engage in independent requests. When the written sentences were removed, all three participants continued to engage in varied requests in the presence of the green placemat and when reinforcement was provided for response variability; repetitive requests continued in the presence of the red placemat. Two out of three participants continued to engage in varied requests in the presence of the green placemat when reinforcement was provided for all responses, regardless of whether or not they were varied. Finally, all three participants engaged in varied requests during their typical preschool snack session, and they also continue to vary their requests after a 2-week follow-up. Our results indicate that preschoolers with autism can vary the way they make requests, depending on the context.

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Children with autism spectrum disorder often display deficits in daily living skills. Behavior analysts can use telehealth, such as videoconferencing technology, to deliver interventions to families of these children. Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the common barriers to accessing behavioral interventions, it is imperative to evaluate the effectiveness and practicality of delivering behavioral interventions via telehealth. This study evaluated the efficacy of a parent-implemented intervention with coaching via telehealth to improve daily living skills. Children ranging in age from 5 to 9 years participated in the study with 1 or 2 of their parents serving as the primary implementer(s). Parents implemented the intervention with fidelity and the intervention yielded increases in independent daily living skill completion for all 4 participants.