Difficulties in processing emotional facial expressions is considered a central characteristic of children with autism spectrum condition (ASC). In addition, there is a growing interest in the use of virtual avatars capable of expressing emotions as an intervention aimed at improving the social skills of these individuals. One potential use of…

This study provides an example of using single case experimental design to guide data-driven, low-inference interventions for an individual using customized displays on a speech-generating device and can serve as an example for interventionists who need to compare intervention strategies to identify approaches that are most appropriate for a…

A large amount of learning occurs through the observation of stimulus-stimulus relations. One procedure that involves this sort of learning is the stimulus-pairing observation procedure (SPOP). The current study involves a systematic replication of Byrne, Rehfeldt, and Aguirre (2014). Tests for the emergence of tact and listener relations were…

In the context of Social Stories™, we compared visual attention to social scenes using BoardMaker™ versus photographic stimuli among typically developing (TD) children and age-matched children with ASD. For visual attention, the dependent measures were the number of fixations and fixation time to eye, mouth, and 'other' (background) areas of…

Understanding the nature of olfactory abnormalities is crucial for optimal interventions in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, previous studies that have investigated odor identification in children with ASD have produced inconsistent results. The ability to correctly identify an odor relies heavily on visual inputs in the…

Purpose: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex communication needs are increasingly taught to use tablet-based speech-generating devices (SGDs). An important issue in designing such interventions is the selection of an appropriate format for displaying vocabulary. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) whether young…

The researchers conducted an exploratory, qualitative case study to describe a combination of mathematics teaching strategies for a sixth-grade student with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder as he engaged with sixth-grade level mathematics. The interventions utilised in this study combined the use of visual representations with a variation…

Research suggests that many children with ASD are visual learners (Quill, 1997) and may struggle to comprehend expectations presented in a verbal mode only. Visually structured interventions present choices, expectations, tasks, and communication exchanges in a way that is appealing and approachable for visual learners. There are many types of…

The Color Wheel System is a class-wide behavioral intervention that provides clear rules and expectations to decrease inappropriate behaviors. We implemented the Color Wheel in two classrooms that included students with autism to explore the effectiveness of the Color Wheel in inclusive classrooms within a Catholic elementary school setting.…

Higher-functioning participants with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) viewed a series of face stimuli, made decisions regarding the affect of each face, and indicated their confidence in each decision. Confidence significantly predicted accuracy across all participants, but this relation was stronger for participants with typical…

Students who are slow to respond to traditional instruction and intervention require intensified intervention. Visual Activity Schedules (VAS) are an evidence-based type of visual support that provide sequential organization of the steps for an activity or skill. VAS can be aligned with individual student needs, including behavioral support. VAS…

A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted for articles published between 1993 and 2013 to evaluate the quality of the Visual Activity Schedules (VAS) literature using current evidence-based criteria developed by Horner et al. (Except Child 71:165-179, 2005). Authors sought to determine whether VAS can be considered an evidence-based…

People who have both autism spectrum disorder and complex communication needs require specialized, multidisciplinary interventions and supports to boost their independence and quality of life. Find up-to-date, evidence-supported information and strategies in this book, the newest volume in the respected Augmentative and Alternative Communication…

This systematic case study utilized a repeated acquisition design to investigate the impact of a caregiver-implemented RECALL (Reading to Engage Children with Autism in Language and Learning) on the correct, unprompted responses of a young child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). RECALL is an adapted shared reading intervention that includes a…

Background: Many children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or developmental language disorder (DLD) have difficulty recognizing and understanding emotions. However, the reasons for these difficulties are currently not well understood. Aims: To compare the…