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A Staff-Training Program to Increase Spontaneous Vocal Requests in Children With Autism

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Abstract

This study evaluated a staff-training and feedback program to increase (a) staff use of naturalistic language training techniques, and (b) child production of spontaneous vocal requests in a school setting for young children with autism. Training was conducted in integrated preschool centers and in an art group. The results revealed that the training and feedback procedure was successful in increasing staff use of naturalistic language training techniques. Further, these increased strategies were associated with corresponding increases in spontaneous vocal requests for all children during embedded training and ongoing feedback conditions. In addition, probes collected by an unobtrusive observer revealed durability of child requesting when staff feedback was discontinued. Social validity measures from front-line staff regarding the intervention revealed positive ratings. The results are discussed in relation to the continued search for effective service-delivery systems to improve communication for children with autism in the public school setting.

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Author notes

  1. Rebecca Karp

    Present address: Newington Public Schools, Connecticut, Newington, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The River Street Autism Program at Coltsville, 34 Sequassen Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, USA

    Kathleen Dyer

  2. Department of Communication Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA

    Rebecca Karp

Authors
  1. Kathleen Dyer
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  2. Rebecca Karp
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathleen Dyer.

Additional information

The authors would like to thank Tracy Eissa, Arlene Kaye, Denise Emma, and Susan Bonitsky for their invaluable support to this project. We would also like to thank the teachers of the students, Jennifer Crescenzi, Catherine Klebart, and Donna Costello for their cooperation in all phases of this project. Special thanks are extended to Tom Parvenski for his administrative support and careful editorial feedback.

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Dyer, K., Karp, R. A Staff-Training Program to Increase Spontaneous Vocal Requests in Children With Autism. Behav Analysis Practice 6, 42–60 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391805

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