The Effectiveness of Direct Instruction in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Answer "Wh-" Questions

J Autism Dev Disord (2016) 46:29682978 DOI 10.1007/s10803-016-2825-2

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The Effectiveness of Direct Instruction in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Answer Wh- Questions

Jessica N. Cadette1,2 Cynthia L. Wilson3 Michael P. Brady2 Charles Dukes2

Kyle D. Bennett4

Published online: 16 June 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016

Abstract Research on the effects of Direct Instruction (DI) among students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has only recently emerged. A benet of DI is that it can be implemented with groups of students, which makes it potentially a cost effective method of instruction for some skills. In this study, we examined the effects of DI on teaching secondary students with ASD to answer three wh- questions. Using a multiple probe design across behaviors, results indicated the participants mastered two of the three wh- question types and made progress with the remaining question type. These results are discussed along with implications for educators instructing students with ASD.

& Jessica N. Cadette [email protected]

Cynthia L. Wilson [email protected]

Michael P. Brady [email protected]

Charles Dukes [email protected]

Kyle D. Bennett [email protected]

1 3200 College Avenue, ES 218, Davie, FL 33314, USA

2 Department of Exceptional Student Education, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA

3 Department of Exceptional Student Education, Florida Atlantic University, 3200 College Ave., Davie, FL 33314, USA

4 Department of Teaching and Learning, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA

Keywords Autism ASD Direct instruction Language

Wh- questions

Introduction

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit persistent decits in social communication and frequently engage in repetitive and restricted behaviors (American Psychiatric Association 2013). Language impairments affect a large portion of individuals with ASD. Though numbers vary, studies indicate that approximately 2550 % of children with ASD may never acquire functional language (Eigsti et al. 2011; Prizant 1996; Wodka et al. 2013). The ability to answer questions, in particular, has been identied as a common decit in many children with ASD (Vicker 2004).

A number of well-designed studies indicate that highly structured instruction based on behavioral principles can be effective in teaching children with ASD (National Autism Center 2009). One such method is discrete trial training (DTT) (Downs et al....