Abstract
Social skills are an elusive target to address in working with individuals with autism, and effective procedures are difficult to identify. Misconceptions exist about how to best address social skill deficits and about which procedures are most likely to produce socially significant outcomes. Discrete trial training (DTT) has a long history of effectiveness in addressing a wide variety of skills, including social responses. In this chapter, we review applications of DTT to address a variety of social skill deficits. The definition of DTT used in this chapter is wide but reflects the definitional elements of DTT (e.g., sequenced instruction, use of prompts, reinforcement of identified responses). A wide variety of skills have been successfully taught with these procedures. In effect, DTT has a long history of effectiveness and a current role in teaching social skills. It is important to identify effective elements and best practice recommendations when using DTT in addressing social deficits. DTT is helpful in addressing skill acquisition in this area, as it enables the instructor to carefully arrange the instructional context and affords many practice opportunities beyond those provided in natural contexts. The advantages associated with DTT should not be overlooked when developing treatment approaches to remediating social skill deficits in individuals with autism.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Adams, L., Gouvousis, A., VanLue, M., & Waldron, C. (2004). Social story intervention: Improving communication skills in a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19(2), 87–94.
Bellini, S., & Akullian, J. (2007). A meta-analysis of video modeling and video self modeling interventions for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Exceptional Children, 73(3), 264–287.
Charlop-Christy, M., & Daneshvar, S. (2003). Using video modeling to teach perspective taking to children with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 5(1), 12–21.
Delprato, D. (2001). Comparisons of discrete-trial and normalized behavioral language intervention for young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(3), 315–325.
DeQuinzio, J., Townsend, D., Sturmey, P., & Poulson, C. (2007). Generalized imitation of facial models by children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(4), 755–759.
Francisco, M., & Hanley, G. (2012). An evaluation of progressively increasing intertrial intervals on the acquisition and generalization of three social skills. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45(1), 137–142.
Garcia-Albea, E., Reeve, S., Reeve, K., & Brothers, K. (2014). Using audio script fading and multiple-exemplar training to increase vocal interactions in children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47(2), 325–343.
Garfinkle, A., & Schwartz, I. (2002). Peer imitation increasing social interactions in children with autism and other developmental disabilities in inclusive preschool classrooms. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 22(1), 26–38.
Gaylord-Ross, R., Haring, T., Breen, C., & Pitts-Conway, V. (1984). The training and generalization of social interaction skills with autistic youth. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 17(2), 229–247.
Gena, A., Couloura, S., & Kymissis, E. (2005). Modifying the affective behavior of preschoolers with autism using in-vivo or video modeling and reinforcement contingencies. Joural of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(5), 545–556.
Groskreutz, M., Peters, A., Groskreutz, N., & Higbee, T. (2015). Increasing play-based commenting in children with autism spectrum disorder using a novel script-frame procedure. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48(2), 442–447.
Gutstein, S., Burgess, A., & Montfort, K. (2007). Evaluation of the relationship development intervention program. Autism, 11(5), 397–411.
Harris, S., Handleman, J., & Alessandri, M. (1990). Teaching youths with autism to offer assistance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23(3), 297–305.
Ingvarsson, E., & Hollobaugh, T. (2010). Acquisition of intraverbal behavior: Teaching children with autism to mand for answers to questions. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 43(1), 1–17.
Jones, E., Carr, E., & Feeley, K. (2006). Multiple effects of joint attention intervention for children with autism. Behavior Modification, 30(6), 782–834.
Jones, E., Feeley, K., & Takacs, J. (2007). Teaching spontaneous responses to young children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(3), 565–570.
Kasari, C., Freeman, S., & Paparella, T. (2006). Joint attention and symbolic play in young children with autism: A randomized controlled intervention study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(6), 611–620.
Krstovska-Guerrero, I., & Jones, E. (2013). Joint attention in autism: Teaching smiling coordinated with gaze to respond to joint attention bids. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 7(1), 93–108.
Leaf, J., Kassardjian, A., Oppenheim-Leaf, M., Cihon, J., Taubman, M., Leaf, R., & McEachin, J. (2016). Social thinking (R): Science, pseudoscience, or antiscience? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9(2), 152–157.
LeBlanc, L., Coates, A., Daneshvar, S., Charlop-Christy, M., Morris, C., & Lancaster, B. (2003). Using video modeling and reinforcement to teach perspective taking skills to children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 36(2), 253–257.
Ledbetter-Cho, K., Lang, R., Davenport, K., Moore, M., Lee, A., Howell, A.,…, & O’Reilly, M. (2015). Effects of script training on the peer-to-peer communication of children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48(4), 785–799.
Lopata, C., Thomeer, M., Volker, M., & Nida, R. (2006). Effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral treatment on the social behaviors of children with asperger disorder. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 21(4), 237–244.
Lovaas, O. I. (1987). Behavioral treatment in normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55(1), 3–9.
MacDonald, J., & Ahearn, W. (2015). Teaching observational learning to children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48(4), 800–816.
Marzullo-Kerth, D., Reeve, S., Reeve, K., & Townsend, D. (2011). Using multiple-exemplar training to teach a generalized repertoire of sharing to children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 22(2), 279–294.
Miranda-Linne, F., & Melin, L. (1992). Acquisition, generalization, and spontaneous use of color adjectives: A comparison of incidental teaching and traditional discrete trial procedures for children with autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 13(3), 191–210.
Nientimp, E., & Cole, C. (1993). Teaching socially valid social interaction responses to students with severe disabilities in an integrated school setting. Journal of School Psychology, 30(4), 343–354.
Peters, L. C., & Thompson, R. H. (2015). Teaching children with autism to respond to conversation partner’s interest. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48(3), 544–562.
Pollard, J., Betz, A., & Higbee, T. (2012). Script fading to promote unscripted bids for joint attention in children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45(2), 387–393.
Ramdoss, S., Lang, R., Mulloy, A., Franco, J., O’Reilly, M. O., Didden, R., & Lancioni, G. (2011). Use of computer- based interventions to teach communication skills to children with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. Journal of Behavioral Education, 20(1), 55–76.
Roantree, C. F., & Kennedy, C. H. (2006). A paradoxical effect of presession attention on sterotype: Antecednet attention as an establishing, not an abolishing operation. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 39(3), 381–384.
Reeve, S., Reeve, K., Townsend, D., & Poulson, C. (2007). Establishing generalized repertoire of helping behavior in children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(1), 123–136.
Schrandt, J., Townsend, D., & Poulson, C. (2009). Teaching empathy skills to children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(1), 17–32.
Shabani, D. B., Katz, R. C., Wilder, D. A., Beauchamp, K., Taylor, C. R., & Fischer, K. J. (2002). Increasing social initiations in children with autism: Effects of tactile prompts. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35(1), 79–83.
Simpson, A., Langone, J., & Ayres, K. M. (2004). Embedded video and computer based instruction to improve social skills for students with autism. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 39(3), 240–252.
Smith, T. (2001). Discrete trial training in the treatment of autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental disabilities, 16(2), 86–92.
Stewart, K. K., Carr, J. E., & LeBlanc, L. A. (2007). Evaluation of family- implemented behavioral skills training for teaching social skills to a child with Asperger’s disorder. Clinical Case Studies, 6(3), 252–262.
Varni, J. W., Lovaas, O. I., Koegel, R. L., & Everett, N. L. (1979). An analysis of observational learning in autistic and normal children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 7, 31–43.
Whalen, C., & Schreibman, L. (2003). Joint attention training for children with autism using behavior modification procedures. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 44(3), 456–468.
Zanolli, K., Daggett, J., & Adams, T. (1996). Teaching preschool age autistic children to make spontaneous initiations to peers using priming. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 407–422.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Weiss, M.J., Hilton, J., Russo, S. (2017). Discrete Trial Teaching and Social Skill Training: Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater. In: Leaf, J. (eds) Handbook of Social Skills and Autism Spectrum Disorder . Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62995-7_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62995-7_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62994-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62995-7
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)