Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Speak Up: Increasing Conversational Volume in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • Brief Practice
  • Published:
Behavior Analysis in Practice Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Deficits in social interactions are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder. This study examined one relatively uncommon aspect of social interactions that has not received much attention from the literature: appropriate conversational volume. Conversational speech volume was measured using a commercially available application, and a package intervention was developed that consisted of feedback from the voice measuring application, signaling from a wrist bracelet, and differential reinforcement. The intervention was evaluated in an ABAB design and speaking at conversational volume was significantly increased when the intervention was in place and in probe conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

  • Koegel, R. L., & Frea, W. D. (1993). Treatment of social behavior in autism through the modification of pivotal social skills. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 369–377.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lorah, E. R., Parnell, A., Whitby, P. S., & Hantula, D. (2015). A systematic review of tablet computers and portable media players as speech generating devices for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 3792–3804.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Institute of Autism, Charlottesville, USA

    Leigh Edgerton

  2. Florida Institute of Technology, 1701 Byrd Ave., Richmond, VA, 23230, USA

    Byron Wine

Authors
  1. Leigh Edgerton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Byron Wine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Byron Wine.

Ethics declarations

This study was not externally founded. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

• New technology can be evaluated in practice.

• Voice volume can be shaped.

• Voice volume apps can be used to provide feedback.

• Generalization and maintenance may be aided by signaling when reinforcement is available.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Edgerton, L., Wine, B. Speak Up: Increasing Conversational Volume in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Behav Analysis Practice 10, 407–410 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-016-0168-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-016-0168-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation