Abstract
While it appears reasonable to assume that the autistic child might benefit from the development of programmed instruction and teaching machines to teach imitation, concepts, and receptive vocabulary skills, no systematic research to date has seriously investigated such possibilities. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of automated versus teacher-controlled instruction in the education of autistic children. Four autistic children, each with extreme deficits in language, social, and self-care behaviors, were trained on a matching-to-sample task under three different instructional situations within an intrasubject replication design and multiple baseline procedure. Analysis of the data showed the following results: (1) The teacher, manually operating the teaching machine, was able to teach and maintain the matching-to-sample task; (2) the same autistic children did not acquire or maintain the task when taught by the machine alone; and (3) the teacher alone (without the machine) was able to teach and maintain the task. The results suggest that automated instruction may, at least, serve as a valuable aid to teachers of autistic children. However, before machines can be used without the participation of a trained teacher, further research appears necessary. Several areas, including the role of motivation in automated instructional settings, the saliency and effectiveness of reinforcers, and the importance of controlling antecedent stimulus conditions and off-task behavior are discussed as areas of primary concern in the development of automated instruction for autistic children.
Similar content being viewed by others
Reference note
Glahn, T. J.Effects of modeling techniques vs. instruction and general principles for teaching behavior modification to parents. Unpublished master's thesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1975.
References
Bijou, S. W., & Baer, D. M.Child development: A systematic and empirical theory (Vol. 1). New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1961.
Briggs, L. J. Two self-instructional devices.Psychological Reports, 1958,4, 671–676.
Colby, K. M. The rationale for computer-based treatment of language difficulties in nonspeaking autistic children.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1973,3, 254–260.
Colby, K. M., & Smith, D. C. Computers in the treatment of non-speaking autistic children. In J. H. Masserman (Ed.),Current psychiatric therapies. New York: Grune & Stratton, 1971.
Crowder, N. A. Automatic tutoring by intrinsic programming. In A. A. Lumsdaine & R. Glaser (Eds.),Teaching machines and programmed learning. Washington, D.C.: National Education Association of the United States, 1960. Pp. 286–298.
Cumming, W. W., & Berryman, R. The complex discriminated operant: Studies of matchingto-sample and related problems. In D. I. Mostofsky (Ed.),Stimulus generalization. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1965.
Ferster, C. B., & DeMyer, M. K. The development of performances in autistic children in an automatically controlled environment.Journal of Chronic Diseases, 1961,13, 312–345.
Gewirtz, J. L. Conditional responding as a paradigm for observational, imitative learning and vicarious reinforcement. In H. W. Reese (Ed.),Advances in child development and behavior. New York: Academic Press, 1971.
Holtzman, W. H.Computer assisted instruction, testing, and guidance. New York: Harper & Row, 1970.
Koegel, R. L., & Covert, A. The relationship of self-stimulation to learning in autistic children.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1972,5, 381–387.
Koegel, R. L., & Rincover, A. Treatment of psychotic children in a classroom environment: I. Learning in a large group.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1974,7, 45–60.
Koegel, R. L., & Rincover, A. Some detrimental effects of using extra stimuli to guide responding in autistic and normal children.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 1976,2, 59–71.
Koegel, R. L., Russo, D. C., & Rincover, A. A method for assessing and training teachers in behavior modification with autistic children.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1977,10, 197–205.
Koegel, R. L., & Schreibman, L. The role of stimulus variables in teaching autistic children. In O. I. Lovaas & B. D. Bucher (Eds.),Perspectives in behavior modification with deviant children. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1974.
Kozloff, M. A.Reaching the autistic child: A parent training program. Champaign, Illinois: Research Press, 1973.
Lovaas, O. I.Behavior modification: Teaching language to psychotic children (Instructional film, 45 min., 16-mm. sound). New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1969.
Lovaas, O. I.Language acquisition programs for non-linguistic children. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1974.
Lovaas, O. L., Berberich, J. P., Perloff, B. F., & Schaeffer, B. Acquisition of imitative speech by schizophrenic children.Science, 1966,151, 705–707.
Lovaas, O. L., & Koegel, R. L. Behavior therapy with autistic children. In C. E. Thoreson (Ed.),Behavior modification in education. Seventy-second yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973. Pp. 230–258.
Lovaas, O. I., Litrownik, A., & Mann, R. Response latencies to auditory stimuli in autistic children engaged in self-stimulatory behavior.Behavior Research and Therapy, 1971,9, 39–49.
Lovaas, O. I., & Newsom, C. D. Behavior modification with psychotic children. In H. Leitenberg (Ed.),Handbook of behavior modification. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1976.
Metz, J. R. Conditioning generalized imitation in autistic children.Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1965,2, 389–399.
Rincover, A., & Koegel, R. L. Classroom treatment of autistic children: II. Individualized instruction in a group.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 1977,5, 113–126.
Russo, D. C.Human vs. automated instruction of autistic children. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1975.
Schreibman, L., & Koegel, R. L. Autism: A defeatable horror.Psychology Today, March 1975, 61–67.
Sherman, J. A. Imitation and language development. In H. W. Reese (Ed.),Advances in child development and behavior. New York: Academic Press, 1971.
Sidman, M. Reading and auditory-visual equivalences.Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 1971,14, 5–13.
Skinner, B. F. Teaching machines.Science, 1958,128, 969–977.
Skinner, B. F. Reflections on a decade of teaching machines. In R. Glaser (Ed.),Teaching machines and programmed learning, Vol. II: Data and directions. Washington, D.C.: National Education Association of the United States, 1965. Pp. 5–20.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Russo, D.C., Koegei, R.L. & Lovaas, O.I. A comparison of human and automated instruction of autistic children. J Abnorm Child Psychol 6, 189–201 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00919124
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00919124