The Effects of Enhanced Milieu Teaching and a Voice Output Communication Aid on the Requesting of Three Children With Autism
By Olive, Melissa L; de la Cruz, Berenice; Davis, Tonya N.; Chan, Jeffrey M; Lang, Russell B.; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Dickson, Sarah M.; Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Vol. 37, No. 8, pp. 1505-1513Publication Date: September 2007
Study evaluating the effects of enhanced milieu teaching when combined with a voice output communication aid (VOCA) on the requesting skills of children with autism. Three boys, aged 3.75 to 5.5 years of age and diagnosed with severe autism, participated in the study, which used a variation of the multiple baseline design, where participants were observed during baseline conditions before intervention began. A total of 19 5-minute play sessions were conducted, using a variety of toys and including a four-button VOCA, the Cheap Talk 4 In-Line Direct® by Enabling Devices. Each button was labeled with a picture representing a request (e.g. cars, more, help), and phrases were pre-recorded by a boy about the same age as the participants (e.g. “I want cars”). Results showed that all children learned to use the VOCA to request items during play, with prompted VOCA requests increasing an average of 10.2 instances, and independent VOCA requests increasing an average of 19.4 instances. Limitations to the study and implications for future research are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: CHEAP TALK 4 (MODELS 6336, 6392)
CHEAP TALK 4 INLINE WITH 12 LEVELS (MODELS 3412 & 3413)
Published by: Springer Publishing Company (Website:http://www.springerpub.com)
