Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.S.

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

Degree Granting Department

Child and Family Studies

Major Professor

Sarah Bloom, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Catia Cividini-Motta, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kwang-Sun Cho Blair, Ph.D.

Keywords

ASD, Intraverbals, Prompting Topography, Exposure, Choice

Abstract

People with developmental disabilities often have communication deficits, which create challenges with functioning in everyday life, making it more difficult for these people to foster meaningful relationships and live an independent life. People with developmental disabilities may need a more structured approach to learning important skills such as communication and social skills, such as learning with prompt topographies. By replicating Roncati et al. 2019, which evaluated exposure to prompt topographies and the effect on acquisition rates, we evaluated an adapted alternating treatments design within a multiple baseline across participants design to examine whether exposure to a specific prompt topography changed the effectiveness of that prompt topography to teach intraverbals to children with ASD and to extend the literature, we evaluated whether exposure to a specific prompt topography along with the Pavlovian relationship created by the amount of reinforcement received within a specific prompt context affected choice for prompt topographies in children with ASD. The data showed that textual and echoic prompt topographies are an effective way to teach intraverbals to children with ASD. We also examined how exposure to prompt topographies and the reinforcement associated with learning trials affected children’s acquisition rates and choice for prompt topographies. Implications of these results for clinical practice are discussed

Download

Share

COinS