LanguageTerm (authority = ISO 639-3:2007); (type = text)
English
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in communication. Training in vocal approximations and/or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modes may be required to overcome these deficits. Because it may be difficult to determine a best communication fit for each student, one solution is to assess students' preference for the different communication topographies. Several factors have been found to influence preference, including parameters of reinforcement, parameters of a response, reinforcement histories, and stimulus cues. The present investigation specifically examined the effects of reinforcement histories and associative salient stimuli on communication modality preference in two students with autism. The two modalities under investigation were vocal approximations and a speech-generating device (SGD). After acquiring labels of items with the two modalities, both participants showed an initial preference for the SGD. One participant continued to label items with the SGD, even when he did not access reinforcement for responding with that modality. For another participant, when reinforcement histories were established with the different modalities - first vocals, then the SGD - his preference shifted to match whichever modality was most recently reinforced. His preferences were unaffected by the presence of salient cues, suggesting that reinforcement histories alone may influence students' preference for different communication topographies.
Subject (authority = local)
Topic
Reinforcement histories
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Clinical Psychology
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Autistic children -- Means of communication
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Voice output communication aids
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Rutgers University. Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
AssociatedObject
Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
Detail
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.