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Acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of a categorization strategy by children with Autism

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Abstract

Assessed the effects of a categorization strategy on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of the abilities of four children with autism to accurately complete uni-, bi-, and tridimensional sorting tasks. The independent variable was a categorization strategy involving uni-, bi-, and tridimensional categorization. The dependent variable was the number of items correctly sorted. The research involved a multiple baseline across-behaviors design with clinical replications. Data indicate that categorization strategy training resulted in increased performance on uni-, bi-, and tridimensional sorting tasks by four children with autism. Three children showed stability with 100% accuracy on uni-, bi-, and tridimensional sorting activities; improvements on generalization probes associated with strategy training; and performance maintenance 2 months after the study. The results of the current research substantiate the worth of categorization strategy training for three children with autism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Louisville, USA

    Marjorie A. Bock

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  1. Marjorie A. Bock
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Bock, M.A. Acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of a categorization strategy by children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 24, 39–51 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02172211

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