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Comparing Acquisition, Generalization, Maintenance, and Preference Across Three AAC Options in Four Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

We compared acquisition, generalization, maintenance, and preference for three AAC options. Four children with autism spectrum disorder were taught to use (a) a manual sign, (b) a picture exchange card, and (c) a speech-generating device to request toys. Intervention was staggered across children in a delayed multiple-probe design with acquisition and maintenance compared in an alternating treatments design. Generalization to new settings and people and preference for using each option were assessed. Three of the four children reached the acquisition criterion with each AAC option in 15 to 65 trials. One child learned to use the speech-generating device and picture exchange card in 20 and 40 trials, respectively, but failed to learn the manual sign. Two children showed generalization across settings and people with picture exchange and the speech-generating device and one child showed generalization with all three options. One child showed generalization across settings with the picture exchange card. Maintenance was relatively better with the speech-generating device and picture exchange card and the children most often chose the speech-generating device during the preference assessments. The results suggest comparable acquisition, but better generalization and maintenance with AAC options that involve selecting a graphic symbol.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by a grant from the New Zealand Government through the Marsden Fund Council, administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand; and by Victoria University of Wellington, The University of Canterbury, and The New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain & Behaviour. We acknowledge and appreciate all the time and energy contributed by the children, their families and school staff who participated in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Sciences, College of Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Laurie McLay, Martina C. M. Schäfer, Llyween Couper, Emma McKenzie & Dean Sutherland

  2. School of Education, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 17-310, Karori, 6147, Wellington, New Zealand

    Larah van der Meer, Vanessa A. Green & Jeff Sigafoos

  3. Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Mark F. O’Reilly

  4. Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

    Giulio E. Lancioni

  5. Institute of Physiology, iDN-Interdisciplinary Developmental Neuroscience, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    Peter B. Marschik

  6. Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Peter B. Marschik

Authors
  1. Laurie McLay
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  2. Larah van der Meer
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  3. Martina C. M. Schäfer
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  4. Llyween Couper
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  5. Emma McKenzie
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  6. Mark F. O’Reilly
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  7. Giulio E. Lancioni
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  8. Peter B. Marschik
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  9. Vanessa A. Green
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  10. Jeff Sigafoos
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  11. Dean Sutherland
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeff Sigafoos.

Additional information

1Apple iPod®/iPad® are registered trademarks of the Apple Corporation, Cupertino California, www.apple.com

2Proloquo2Go® is a registered trademark of AssistiveWare B.V., Amsterdam the Netherlands, www.assistiveware.com

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McLay, L., van der Meer, L., Schäfer, M.C.M. et al. Comparing Acquisition, Generalization, Maintenance, and Preference Across Three AAC Options in Four Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Dev Phys Disabil 27, 323–339 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-014-9417-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-014-9417-x

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