THE EFFECT OF USING A TIME-DELAY PROCEDURE TO FACILITATE SPONTANEOUS VERBAL RESPONDING IN AUTISTIC CHILDREN

Abstract

Spontaneous speech has often been cited as lacking in autistic children. Their verbal behaviour very often remains under the stimulus control of the verbal behaviour of others. This study explored the effectiveness of using an operant procedure, a constant time delay, to increase spontaneous verbal requesting for favoured food and toys in 3 autistic children. The therapist would present a desired object and model the appropriate response only after 10 seconds. Unprompted, appropriate responses from the child were responses made within 10 seconds of presentation of stimulus. Criterion responding would be reached when the child made 80% or more unprompted, appropriate responses in 2 consecutive sessions. Results indicated that 2 children benefitted from spontaniety training. They learned to request items spontaneously both in and out of the classroom and generalized this behaviour across people, settings and food items which had not been trained. The third child did not require spontaniety training.