Uma comparação de dois métodos para ensinar tato para crianças com Transtorno do Espectro Autista

Abstract

Identifying efficient methods for teaching language to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is important for clinical and educational practices. Two studies were conducted with the purpose of comparing two methods for teaching tacts: individual presentation and simultaneous presentation of three stimuli. An adapted alternating treatments design combined with a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants was used to compare the effects of these two methods. Four boys with ASD and ages between 3 and 9 years old, learned to tact 6 unfamiliar pictures, 3 through each method. In the individual presentation of stimuli method, one picture was presented in each trial. In the simultaneous presentation of stimuli method, 3 pictures were presented simultaneously in each trial. After criterion was met for each method, the emergence of the corresponding listener behavior was tested. In both studies, both methods resulted in the acquisition of tacts and the emergence of the corresponding listener behaviors. However, for two participants, the individual presentation of the stimuli was more efficient, in terms of the number of blocks to criterion achievement. For the other two participants, the difference in the number of blocks to criterion through each method was quite small. Variables such as the extra-experimental experience of the participants, the duration of the intertrial interval and the use of a progressive prompt delay procedure may have influenced the acquisition of the tacts through both methods.