Using a Multicomponent Adapted Power Card Strategy to Decrease Latency During Interactivity Transitions for Three Children With Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

An adapted Power Card strategy was examined to determine effectiveness in decreasing latency in responding to teacher cues to initiate interactivity transitions in the classroom among three students, aged 10 to 11 years, with developmental disabilities (i.e., one with autism and two with intellectual disability). The Power Card strategy, a form of visually cued instruction, included scripts in which the students' "heroes" or preferred fictional characters demonstrated targeted interactivity transition behaviors. The strategy decreased response latency for all three students as documented within a single-case withdrawal (A-B-A-B-A-B) design replicated across the three participants. Instructional staff implemented the intervention and, at the end of the study, all remarked about the dramatic effectiveness of the adapted Power Card strategy, said they would use this strategy in the future, and noted that overall classroom functioning had improved. Implications for classroom practice and recommendations for further research on the use of Power Card strategies are discussed.

Teaching games to young children with autism spectrum disorder using special interests and video modelling

“…By definition, play activities should provide enjoyable experiences for children (Jordan, 2003;Lifter et al, 2011), occurring spontaneously in the natural context without an adult's intensive involvement. This study extended the existing literature by demonstrating that the use of special interests and strengths of children with ASD can facilitate their ability to play games cooperatively and spontaneously with their typically developing peers (Angell et al, 2011;Baker, 2000;Baker et al, 1998;Campbell & Tincani, 2011;Keeling et al, 2003;Koegel et al, 2012;Spencer et al, 2008).…”

“…In some studies, the special interests of these children were used as contingent reinforcers to increase task performance or decrease the inappropriate behaviours of children with ASD (Charlop-Christy & Haymes, 1996. Other studies incorporated the restricted interests of these children into activities or interventions to teach skills (Angell, Nicholson, Watts, & Blum, 2011;Baker, 2000;Baker, Koegel, & Koegel, 1998;Campbell & Tincani, 2011;Keeling, Myles, Gagnon, & Simpson, 2003;Koegel et al, 2012;Spencer, Simpson, Day, & Buster, 2008). For example, Baker and colleagues (Baker, 2000;Baker et al, 1998) incorporated restricted interests of children with ASD into games (e.g., bingo, tag, follow-the-leader).…”

“…For example, Baker and colleagues (Baker, 2000;Baker et al, 1998) incorporated restricted interests of children with ASD into games (e.g., bingo, tag, follow-the-leader). In addition, several studies used a "Power Card," consisting of a script with pictorial cues in which the child's favourite character or hero demonstrates the desired behaviour to facilitate the child's target behaviour (Angell et al, 2011;Campbell & Tincani, 2011;Keeling et al, 2003;Spencer et al, 2008).…”

Correspondence Training Using Special Interests to Increase Compliance During Transitions: An Emerging Technology

“…Recently, The Power Card strategy (Gagnon 2001), an intervention that provides visual and written cues to match a desired behavior to that of the individual's special interest, has been used to increase compliance (Angell et al 2011;Campbell and Tincani 2011) and social skills (Keeling et al 2003;Spencer et al 2008). Although the Power Card strategy and the use of special interests have been documented over the past 20 years, research is needed on the generality of this intervention across various disabilities and pre-school age children.…”

“…Empirically validated interventions include those incorporating high-probability requests (Ardoin et al 1999), visual activity schedules (Cihak 2011;Hume et al 2014), and video modeling (Cihak et al 2009). Additional strategies implemented for individual children include those focusing on antecedent prompt procedures and peer mediation (Sainato et al 1987), differential reinforcement of other behavior and extinction (Wilder et al 2006), and the use of a multicomponent BPower Card^ (Angell et al 2011). While these interventions show promising results for increasing compliance and on-task behavior during transitions, additional research is needed to generate strategies to increase selfmanagement skills of students with special needs, thereby facilitating independent performance during daily transitions.…”