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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders pp 947–948Cite as

Didactic Approaches

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Synonyms

ABA; Adult/clinician/teacher-directed approaches; Behavioral approaches; Direct instruction

Definition

A didactic approach to teaching refers to a manner of instruction in which information is presented directly from the teacher to the pupil, in which the teacher selects the topic of instruction, controls instructional stimuli, obligates a response from the child, evaluates child responses, and provides reinforcement for correct responses and feedback for incorrect ones. Intervention methods for early communication in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are often divided into three categories: didactic, naturalistic, and pragmatic or developmental.

Didactic approaches utilize a variety of concepts from behavioral theory, including massed trials, operant conditioning, shaping, prompting, chaining, and reinforcement. Difficulty with the generalization and maintenance of behaviors learned through this method along with the passive communication acquired by many children...

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  • DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_2005
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References and Readings

  • Goldstein, H. (2002). Communication intervention for children with Autism: A review of treatment efficacy. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32, 373–396.

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  • Paul, R. (2008). Interventions to improve communication in Autism. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 17(4), 835–856.

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  • Remington, B., Hastings, R., Kovshoff, H., Degli Espinosa, F., Jahr, E., Brown, T., et al. (2007). Early intensive behavioral intervention: Outcomes for children with Autism and their parents after two years. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 112, 418–438.

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  • Rogers, S. (2006). Evidence-based intervention for language development in young children with Autism. In T. Charman & W. Stone (Eds.), Social and communication development in autism spectrum disorders: Early identification, diagnosis, and intervention (pp. 143–179). New York: Guilford Press.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Developmental Communication Disorders, Yale Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA

    Sarita Austin MS, CCC-SLP (Research Associate)

Authors
  1. Sarita Austin MS, CCC-SLP
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarita Austin MS, CCC-SLP .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology Yale University School of Medicine, Chief, Child Psychiatry Children's Hospital at Yale-New Haven Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar (Director, Child Study Center) (Director, Child Study Center)

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Austin, S. (2013). Didactic Approaches. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_2005

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