This study compared the relative efficacy of providing simultaneous or delayed reinforcement on food acceptance during meals. The participant was a 7-year-old boy with pervasive developmental disorder and a history of food selectivity. Results indicated that both procedures were effective in increasing acceptance; however, the simultaneous reinforcement procedure produced more rapid behavior change and a higher overall percentage of food acceptance.
Given the growing numbers of students identified with autism, educators need an understanding of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to meet these student’s individual educational goals. EBPs are defined often as instructional strategies, interventions, or teaching programs that result in consistent positive student outcomes. Educator’s use of EBPs has been shown to improve the learning outcomes of students with disabilities. It is imperative that educators understand how to select and implement such practices with students in their classrooms and continuously monitor the progress of their students. Recently, two major resources that classify EBPs for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are available for review. This introduction to the special issue provides a review of EBPs specific to the education of students identified with autism as well as discusses the current resources available to educators who are in classrooms supporting students with autism. Recommendations for how best to prepare educators to use EBPs are provided.
Special educators are encouraged to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs) with fidelity to maximize student achievement. Two national organizations identified Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) as an EBP for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of didactic training alone (simulating traditional professional development), and the effects of adding coaching in a mixed-reality environment (TLE TeachLivE™), on special educators’ implementation fidelity with DTT in their classrooms teaching students with ASD. Five special educators who had previous DTT training but were not implementing the EBP with fidelity in their classrooms participated. Results suggest didactic training alone was not sufficient to bring special educators to fidelity of implementation with DTT, but after an hour-long session in TLE TeachLivE™, participants were able to implement DTT with fidelity in their own classrooms. Special educators maintained their fidelity of implementation up to 8 weeks after the conclusion of the intervention.
We conducted a functional analysis of breath-holding episodes in a 7-year-old girl with severe mental retardation and Cornelia-de-Lange syndrome. The results showed that breath holding served an operant function, primarily to gain access to attention. The intervention, consisting of extinction, scheduled attention, and use of a picture card communication system, resulted in decreased breath holding.
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