Date of Award:

12-2024

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Psychology

Committee Chair(s)

Amy L. Odum

Committee

Amy L. Odum

Committee

Thomas S. Higbee

Committee

Tyler Renshaw

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is marked by many areas of need, including play and communication. These areas of concern can have a negative impact on a child's development. Applied behavior analysis, specifically script training and fading procedures, has shown promise in teaching communication during play to young autistic children. However, traditional script training and fading methods have some limitations, including the skills the children already possess to learn the scripts and the resources needed to teach the scripts. Recent studies have shown that script frames can be taught without using traditional training formats (i.e., text, auditory) but by using generic picture cues. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate the necessity of visual cues in teaching contextually appropriate play commenting in preschool-aged children with ASD. The potential impact of this research on the field of autism and child development is significant, as it could lead to more effective teaching methods for autistic children. The results of the current study provide further evidence for the use of generic picture cues to teach contextually appropriate play commenting. In addition, it shows that teaching scripted responses can lead to an increase in the emission of novel play comments. Unfortunately, one participant was withdrawn due to challenges encountered while teaching the script frames and time constraints.

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