Social skills training (SST) refers to any adult-directed instruction in which social skills are targeted for improvement. SST typically occurs in either a group or individual format, and may also include facilitated practice in classroom settings. SST sometimes may co-occur with peer-mediated instruction and intervention (PMII) or some related…

This evidence-based practice overview on Structured Play Groups (SPG) includes the following components: (1) Overview: A quick summary of salient features of the practice, including what it is, who it can be used with, what skills it has been used with, and settings for instruction; (2) Evidence-base: The "SPG Evidence-base" details the…

Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle with learning new skills or behaviors, especially when these behaviors are complex or have multiple components. Task analysis (TA) can be used to help break down and teach these chained behaviors. Chained behaviors are behaviors or skills which consist of multiple steps such as tying…

Reinforcement (R+) is used to teach target skills and increase desired behaviors. Other evidence-based practices (for example, prompting, pivotal responses training) draw upon components of reinforcement. Reinforcement describes the relationship between learner behavior and a consequence that follows the behavior. The relationship between the…

Social narratives describe social situations for learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by providing relevant cues, explanation of the feelings and thoughts of others in the social situation, and descriptions of appropriate behavior expectations. Typically, social narratives are individualized based upon the needs of the learner, short, and…