1 / 30

Teaching Conversational Skills to Children with Autism

Teaching Conversational Skills to Children with Autism. John L. Brown, Ph.D., BCBA Jennifer Ryan Eric Rozenblat REED Academy. Script Fading. Script fading is an empirically validated procedure used to teach individuals to verbally engage in social interactions. . Script Fading.

gwydion
Download Presentation

Teaching Conversational Skills to Children with Autism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Teaching Conversational Skills to Children with Autism John L. Brown, Ph.D., BCBA Jennifer Ryan Eric Rozenblat REED Academy

  2. Script Fading • Script fading is an empirically validated procedure used to teach individuals to verbally engage in social interactions.

  3. Script Fading • Script fading teaches learners to use written or audio scripts. • Scripts provide models of language that are appropriate to specific social situations. • As learners learn to use the scripts they are faded from end to beginning.

  4. Example • A script such as “Let’s go to the park.” could be faded in the following steps • Let’s go to the park. • Let’s go to the • Let’s go to • Let’s go • Let’s • Removal of script card.

  5. Three-Term Contingency

  6. Fading • Fading is a technique that is used to shift control of a response from one antecedent stimulus to another. (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 1987, p. 314) • In the case of script fading, control of a verbal response is being shifted from the control of the script to some other environmental stimulus.

  7. Why Use Script Fading? • To teach “spontaneous” social interaction. • To reduce the use of instructor prompts in teaching social interaction. • Why reduce instructor prompts?

  8. Types of Scripts • Written Scripts • Language Master Cards • “Mini Me” Recordings

  9. Placement of Scripts • When deciding where to place scripts consider how the learner will use the script. • For example: • A script about a preferred toy could be placed on a picture of that toy. • A script about soda may be placed on the refrigerator door.

  10. Using Script-Fading Procedures • Development of Scripts • Pre-training Scripts • Teaching Script Use • Fading Scripts

  11. Development of Scripts • Use verbal responses that are of appropriate complexity for the learner. • Use age-appropriate content. • Determine the type of script, • Determine the location for the script. • Determine the SD for using the script.

  12. Development of Scripts • If scripts are taught in sets, attend to the initial word of each script. • Include an opening and closing in each script. • When using an augmentive communication system start scripts with a statement that indicates the use of the machine.

  13. Pre-training • Pre-train the use of the script until the learner demonstrates fluency in using the script.

  14. Teaching • Use graduated guidance delivered from behind the learner to prompt use of scripts. • Replay the script if the learner does not imitate the script. • Reinforce correct use of scripts. • Attend to other aspects of social interaction (eye contact, loudness, etc.)

  15. Fading Scripts • Fade from the end to the beginning. • Fade quickly. • Be prepared to back-up if the learner does not imitate the full script.

  16. How to Back-up the Fading Level • Written Script • Have a second card with the full script ready. • Language Master Script • Record the full script on the ‘Teacher’ track. • Mini-Me • Use a second Mini-Me for the full script.

  17. Programming for Generalization • Choose verbal responses that are functional in a variety of situations. • Teach multiple scripts for each SD. • Train Loosely: Accept appropriate statements that do not exactly match the script. • Shift reinforcement to ‘natural’ contingencies.

  18. Examples of Script Fading • Greetings • Peer Conversation • Shopping • Ordering in a Restaurant • Discussing Current Events • Recruiting Attention

  19. Conversation Partner • Purpose • To promote the continuation of a learner- initiated conversation that is socially meaningful • To serve as a language model

  20. Conversation Partner • Effectively teaching conversational skills while being a partner • modeling • attending skills • personal space • prosody • giving your partner time to respond • using continuation statements to prevent premature ending • conversation content must be relevant and language used needs to be appropriate to language level • use textual and audio prompts, and graduated guidance

  21. Conversation Partner • What to Avoid: • descriptive praise • using conversation enders • questions • partial echo's/rephrasing • no verbal prompts

  22. Potential Conversation Partners • Trained adult conversation partner • Untrained adult conversation partner • Disabled peers • Non-disabled peers • Siblings • Family Members • Strangers

  23. Data Collection • Scripted Interactions • Record the number of words or scripts used correctly. • Measure the use of the scripts. • Unscripted Interactions • Record the number of statements made that do not match the script. • Measure the use of other, non-scripted, language.

  24. Motivational Systems • Consider the use of specialized motivational systems that are used exclusively for social interaction. • Consider reserving specific reinforcers for use exclusively for social interaction programs. • Consider using scripts that include language about preferred activities that function as reinforcers • Although not specifically programmed, ending a conversation often functions as a negative reinforcer for children with autism

  25. Empirical Evidence • Script fading for readers • Krantz and McClannahan (1993) used script fading to teach non readers with autism to initiate, respond to initiations, and make unscripted statements during conversations with peers ages 9-12 • Sarokoff, Taylor, & Poulson (2001) used scripts embedded in product packaging to teach conversation among learner’s with autism ages 8-9

  26. Empirical Evidence • Script fading for beginning readers • Children ages 4-5 were taught to read “Look” and “Watch me” • Activity schedules were used to present these words along with photographs of activities to children with autism • Scripted statements, unscripted statements, and elaborations increased

  27. Empirical Evidence • Script fading for non readers • Using audio-taped scripts embedded in activity schedules demonstrated to be effective for learners with autism ages 10-15

  28. Script Fading Exercise • Roll playing using continuation statements • non-vocal conversation • 1-word conversations • 3-word conversations • 5-word conversations • unlimited conversations with 10 exchanges • writing scripts

  29. References Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (1987). Applied Behavior Analysis. Columbus, OH: Merrill Publishing Company. Krantz, P.J., & McClannahan, L.E. (1998). Social interaction skills for children with autism: A script-fading procedure for beginning readers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31, 191-202. Krantz, P. J. & McClannahan, L. E. (1993). Teaching children with autism to initiate to peers: Effects of a script-fading procedure. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 121-132.

  30. References Johnson, K. R. & Layng, T. V. J. (1992). Breaking the structuralist barrier: Literacy and numeracy with fluency. American Psychologist, 47, 1475-1490. Stevenson, C.L., Krantz, P.J., & McClannahan, L.E. (2000). Social interaction skills for children with autism: A script-fading procedure for nonreaders. Behavioral Interventions, 15, 1-20. Sarokoff, R.A., Taylor, B.A., & Poulson, C.L. (2001). Teaching children with autism to engage in conversational exchanges: Script-fading with embedded textual stimuli. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 81-84.

More Related