2011 Theses Doctoral

A Functional Analysis of the Effects of the Induction of Naming and Observing Teacher-Modeling on Accelerated Learning of Academic Skills for Children with Autism

Corwin, Alison

I tested the effects of the absence and presence of Naming on rate of learning when teacher modeling was part of an instructional procedure. A time-lagged multiple probe design across matched pairs of participants was implemented. Eight elementary aged children with autism, ranging in age from 4 to 7 years old, were selected because they lacked Naming at the onset of the study. The dependent variable was the number of instructional trials, or learn units, required to master 6 mathematics curricular objectives: 3 prior to the emergence of Naming, and 3 following the acquisition of Naming. Each instructional session consisted of a teacher model, in which I demonstrated how to solve 2problems while the participant observed, followed by 20 learn units. Learn unit procedures following the teacher-model included positive reinforcement for correct responses and corrective feedback for incorrect responses. The independent variable in the study was the induction of Naming using multiple exemplar instruction (MEI) across listener and speaker responses. Following the emergence of Naming, 3 novel mathematics objectives were taught and rate of learning was measured. The participants' rate of learning under teacher modeling conditions was compared prior to the emergence of Naming, and following the acquisition of Naming. The results of the study showed accelerated learning for all 8 participants under teacher modeling conditions following the acquisition of the Naming capability.