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An Evaluation of Positional Prompts for Teaching Receptive Identification to Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the effects of positional prompts on teaching receptive identification to six children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The researchers implemented a most-to-least prompting system using a three level hierarchy to teach receptive picture identification. Within the prompting hierarchy, only positional prompts were used. The most assistive prompt was placing the target stimulus 12 in. closer to the participant, the less assistive prompt was placing the target stimulus 6 in. closer to the participant, and no prompt was placing the target stimulus in line with the alternative stimuli. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design across behaviors was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the positional prompt. Results indicated that the implementation of positional prompts resulted in participants reaching mastery criterion and maintaining skills at follow-up for the majority of the participants. The results of the study have both future clinical and research implications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Autism Partnership Foundation, 200 Marina Drive, Seal Beach, CA, 90740, USA

    Justin B. Leaf, Joseph H. Cihon, Donna Townley-Cochran, Kevin Miller, Ronald Leaf, John McEachin & Mitchell Taubman

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  1. Justin B. Leaf
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  2. Joseph H. Cihon
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  3. Donna Townley-Cochran
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  4. Kevin Miller
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  5. Ronald Leaf
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  6. John McEachin
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  7. Mitchell Taubman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justin B. Leaf.

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No funding was received for this study. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from the parents of all individual participants included in the study.

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Leaf, J.B., Cihon, J.H., Townley-Cochran, D. et al. An Evaluation of Positional Prompts for Teaching Receptive Identification to Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Behav Analysis Practice 9, 349–363 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-016-0146-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-016-0146-8

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