Transcript Slide 1
Evidence-Based Strategies to Address
Deficient Repertoires in Young
Children with Autism
Coyne & Associates
Educational Corporation
ABAI Phoenix 2009
Facilitation of an Echoic
Repertoire
Christine Dausch Essex, SLP
Sally D. Moore, MA BCBA
Len Levin, PhD
Nicola Bogie, MA
Celia Newkirk, MA
Introduction
A primary goal for children with Autism receiving EIBI is
to establish a system of communication
EIBI curricula emphasize development of listener and
speaker repertoires (i.e. following instructions,
identification, manding, tacting, etc.)
Included in EIBI curricula is a “standard” method for
establishing an echoic repertoire
Reinforce spontaneous vocalizations
Gain stimulus control over vocalizations via Vocal Imitation
or mand training
Shape approximations
Introduction Continued
Some alternative methods have been utilized to try and
establish an echoic repertoire when “standard” methods
are unsuccessful
What happens when attempts to establish an echoic
repertoire are unsuccessful
Program focus is shifted to non-vocal modalities of
communication (eg. PECS)
Referrals are made to other providers (Speech-Language
Pathologists)
Introduction Continued
Due to the nature of vocal targets, it is often impossible
to directly evoke the correct response following the
delivery of the SD
Traditional prompting and prompt fading techniques are
not applicable to most vocal responses
There is little empirical literature addressing how to proceed
with children who display severely deficient to no vocal
repertoire
Collaboration
Behavior Analysts are trained HOW to teach by utilizing
the 3 term contingency: S->R->S
Speech-Language Pathologists are trained WHAT to
teach (i.e. developmental sequence of phonemes,
speech/oral motor development).
Collaboration Continued
This collaborative model relies equally on the principles
of Behavior Analysis and behavior change and the
science of speech/oral motor development
In our opinion, the protocols and procedures cultivated
from this model could not have been developed by
behavior analysts or speech-language pathologists
working individually
Characteristics of Participants
Limited babbling/spontaneous vocalizations
No obvious difficulty with non-vocal imitation
Lack of progress with vocal imitation targets
Utilizing PECS as primary mode of communication
Diagnosis of autism
Ages 2-3
Method-Participant 1
Oral Motor Imitation with Objects
Vocal Imitation/Echoics
Echoic to Mands
Oral Motor Imitation with Objects
Introduced targets that would act as a bridge to
production of specific phonemes
Example: Wipe mouth with washcloth-bridge to /m/
Target List 1
Blow train whistle
Wipe mouth with washcloth
Chant
Blow harmonica
Lick lollipop
Raspberry Lips
Oral Motor Imitation with Objects
Target List 2
Blow train whistle /h/
Wipe mouth with washcloth /m/
Chant /a/
Blow harmonica /h/
Lick lollipop tongue control
Raspberry Lips /p/ and /b/
Teaching steps
Targets were introduced in groups of 2-3
Each target was presented in block trials of 5
Mastery Criterion-90% over 2 days, 80% over 3 days
Vocal Imitation
Sounds targeted through Oral Motor Imitation with
objects were introduced in vocal imitation in block
trials of 5
Anecdotally, the OMI program increased visual regard
for the Interventionist’s mouth when modeling vocal
Imitation targets
Additional targets were introduced that were not
specifically targeted through the OMI program
Echoic to Mand
Mastered vocal Imitation targets were introduced as
manding targets
3 targets were introduced simultaneously
Format as in Greer & Ross 2008
Method-Participant 2
Fine Discrimination with Non Vocal Imitation
Vocal Imitation
Echoic to Mands & Tacts
Non Vocal Imitation
Previously taught targets were re-taught requiring a
response that more accurately mimics the SD
A variety of new gross motor & action with objects
targets were introduced incorporating finer
discrimination
Teaching Steps
Imitation targets were introduced 1 or 2 at a time
Errorless -> Error Correction
Mastery Criterion-90% over 2 days, 80% over 3 days
Increasing accuracy with less complex behavior chains
(i.e. non-vocal imitation) would lead to the acquisition
of imitation with complex behavior chains (i.e. vocal
imitation)
Vocal Imitation
Vocal imitation targets were reintroduced after several
targets were mastered in the revised NVI
Targets were selected based on a developmental
sequence of phoneme acquisition
Teaching Steps
Target sounds were presented in block trials of 5
Each target sound was presented between 25- 50 trials per
session
Mastery Criterion-90% over 2 days or 80% over 3 days
Mastered targets were presented in random rotation
Echoic to Mands & Tacts
After mastery was achieved with various vowel and
consonant vowel combinations in vocal imitation,
targets were shifted to functional language
programming
Mand and Tact targets were introduced in the Echoic to
Mand/Echoic to Tact format as described by Greer &
Ross
Mastered Targets to Date
Mands
Read
DVD
Book
Bubble
Flip
Tacts
Dog
Horse
Sheep
Hat
Shoe
Bed
Waffle
Apple
Papa
Tito
Abu
Tita
Aba
Discussion
We made the Discriminative Stimulus more salient via
the use of objects and minor discriminations with motor
imitation
Participant 1-through pairing actions with objects with
vocal targets
Participant 2-through fine discrimination with non-vocal
imitation targets
Ongoing collaboration led to better and better
refinements of the procedures
Within the procedures continual problem solving was
utilized
When acquisition was not present sometimes it was a
teaching issue and sometimes it was a speech issue
Discussion Continued
Future Directions
Collect experimental data to support our hypothesis
Establish a “profile” to determine which procedure will be
most effective with which children