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A High-tech Behavior Analytic Approach

Comprehensive Reading Instruction for Children with ASD

Progress Report Presented at the RAIND Institute Faculty MeetingSeptember 17, 2015

Plavnick, Skibbe, Mariage, Englert, & Thompson

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Project ObjectivesYear 1 (June 2014 – June 2015)

Assess how elementary-aged children with moderate to severe ASD interact with textIdentify core components of an intervention for teaching reading to children with moderate to severe ASD

Year 2 (June 2015 – June 2016)Investigate whether participation in the reading intervention leads to gains in children’s reading abilitiesEvaluate effects of learning to read on language

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Eye Tracking Analysis

Text only - silent

Read aloud

Highlight & read aloud

Typical Child Child with ASD

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Early Reading Intervention• Administer Headsprout

Early Reading• Provide token economy

system for behavioral support

• Administer physical prompts for accurate responding – then fade prompts

Cum

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umbe

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egm

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com

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Red bars indicate prompt administered, blue indicates independent

P1

P2

P3

P4

Baseline Intervention

Sessions

Num

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f Writt

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In

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Sessions

Ian

Jenny

Reading Comprehension Intervention for Children

with Autism

• 2nd and 3rd Grade Student with ASD• Public school ASD classroom• Unable to follow a single written direction at

baseline

Sample Baseline 6-Step Written Direction Probe

Baseline

Baseline

Go to the green table. Sit down in the chair. Pick up the pencil. Draw a circle on the paper. Write your name at the top of the paper. Take your paper to your mailbox.

Results• Students able to complete 6-step instructions

• 46 (Ian) to 76 (Jenny) Sessions• Both students required that the teacher model

rereading of text; Jenny needed explicit overt modeling

• Criterion: 3 consecutive correct responses• Preferred item in terminal direction• Modeling added to intervention package

Procedure

Background

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Productivity ReportPapers

Plavnick, Thompson, Englert, Mariage, & Johnson (accepted for publication) Journal of Behavioral EducationBak, Plavnick, & Thompson, in preparationEnglert, Mariage, & Plavnick, in preparationPlavnick, Thompson, & Bak, in preparationPlavnick, Bak, & Thompson, in preparationSkibbe, Thompson, & Plavnick, in preparationThompson, Skibbe, & Plavnick, in preparationThompson, Neil, & Plavnick, in preparation

Grant ProposalsSkibbe & Thompson (Organization for Autism Research, not funded)Plavnick & Skibbe (Institute for Education Sciences, under review)Plavnick (National Institute of Health, in preparation)

Conference PresentationsPlavnick, Skibbe, & Thompson (2015, May). International Meeting for Autism ResearchSkibbe, Plavnick, & Thompson (2015)Plavnick, Whalon, Englert, & Mariage (2015, April). Council for Exceptional Children

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For Year 2Enhanced intervention package and improved research methodology

Examine multi-tiered intervention package on progression through HER and acquisition of reading repertoire

Assess for differences in language environmentGeneral education classroom vs. Self-contained ASD classroomFree-operant environments vs. Structured learning environmentsHER users vs. Non-HER usersIncrease/decrease in

vocalization, approximation of words during the school year