We tested the effects of multiple exemplar instruction (MEI) on the emergence of untaught mands or tacts of adjective-object pairs in a multiple-probe design across four students with autism/developmental disabilities. None of the students emitted either mands or tacts for three sets of three adjective-object pairs (word sets counterbalanced across students and conditions) in pre-experimental probe trials. In the baseline phase, either mands or tacts were taught for the first adjective-object pairs to each student who then received probe trials for the untaught verbal operants. None of the students emitted the verbal operant that was not directly taught. In the MEI condition, a second set of adjective-object pairs was taught under alternating mand and tact conditions until both operants were mastered. Following mastery of the second set in the MEI condition, students were again probed for the untaught mands or tacts for the adjective-object pairs that were not in their repertoires when a single verbal operant was taught in baseline (the first set). All students emitted the untaught mands or tacts for the first set. Finally, a third set of adjective-object pairs was taught as tacts or mands and the untaught mands or tacts emerged. The data are discussed in terms of generative verbal behavior, abstraction of establishing operation control, and multiple exemplar instruction.

Two experiments were conducted with 4 students with autism to test the relationship between either toys or books as conditioned reinforcers for observing or playing and their effect on stereotypy and passivity. Experiment 1 consisted of a single preschool student who emitted frequent intervals of passive behavior and infrequent intervals of looking at books in a free play setting. After systematic training sessions involving pairings of reinforcers with looking at books, he engaged in looking at books significantly more than in his baseline in free play and decreased intervals of passivity. Experiment 2 involved a multiple baseline across 3 students. Baseline data were followed by toy-play conditioning sessions run concurrently with free-play observations. The 2 students who emitted frequent rates of stereotypy in baseline had significantly fewer intervals of stereotypy after toys were conditioned as reinforcers and toy play increased for all 3 students.Stereotypy is a prevalent behavior of children with autism.

Palilalia, the delayed repetition of words or phrases, occurs frequently among individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. The current study used a combined multiple baseline and reversal design to investigate the effectiveness of presenting tacts as corrections for palilalia. During baseline, five preschoolers with autism emitted high rates of palilalia and low rates of mands and tacts during play and instructional activities. During treatment, when experimenters presented opportunities to echoically tact actions and objects following the emission of palilalia, its frequency decreased to low and stable levels and mands and tacts increased. Functional relationships between the tact corrections and emissions of palilalia, mands, and tacts were established during reversals to baseline and treatment conditions. Similar trends in responding were found for frequency of palilalia, mands, and tacts in non-treatment settings.