Applied Behavior Analysis for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Johnny L. Matson

Author:Johnny L. Matson [Matson, Johnny L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: http://www.vet4arab.co.cc, Copyright© 2009 Springer. Uploaded By Dr Yasser S. El-Sayed, Psychiatry and Education (general), Psychology, Child and School Psychology
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

options. Problem-solving training (e. g., Shure, 2001a,

2001b, 2004) can help students with ASD to identify

problems, generate alternative solutions, evaluate the

Problem Solving

effectiveness of different potential courses of action,

and choose the best option. This can be done as a class-

Another compelling social deficit associated with wide intervention or as an individual approach.

autism is difficulty in identifying and managing social

A variation of problem solving is the social autopsy

conflicts of various kinds. The term “problem solving” (Bieber, 1994). This approach helps to identify cause-

refers to the ability to use available information to and-effect relationships between one’s behavior and

come up with strategies to solve problems (Agran, the reactions of others. This clinical approach involves

Blanhard, Wehmeyer, & Hughes, 2002). Learners with discussing the situation after the event and creating a

autism often exhibit a lack of problem-solving abili-

plan to prevent further instances (Dunn, 2006).

ties, selecting the wrong strategy in a scenario, or do

Problem solving and perspective taking interven-

not know when to switch from one strategy to another tions are both designed to address some of the more

BookID 158893_ChapID 7_Proof# 1 - 28 / 08 / 2009

7 Social Skills and Autism: Understanding and Addressing the Deficits

137

complicated social deficits associated with autism gestures and vocalizations are used to recruit attention

spectrum disorders. These are central deficits, which for sharing or mutual attending to an object.

impede social problem solving and the development of

Recently, Mundy et al. (2007) elaborated on the dif-

relationships.

ferent types of joint attention as well. The authors

described the concepts of protoimperative and proto-

declarative gestures and vocalizations as initiating

behavior regulation/requests (IBR) and initiating joint

Joint Attention

attention (IJA), respectively. In addition, Mundy et al.

described the response to joint attention (RJA) and

Children are often initially referred for a diagnosis of response to behavior requests (RBR) to characterize

autism spectrum disorder when they fail to acquire lan-

the responding to others’ bids for joint attention.

guage at a rate similar to their typically developing

peers. However, another common deficit in observed in

learners with autism at this early juncture is a lack of

joint attention. Joint attention skills typically develop Importance of Joint Attention

before a child’s first words. Recently, the topic of joint

attention has come into sharp focus in the literature Joint attention is considered an important skill because

because it may have important implications for both of its possible relation to several domains of develop-

early diagnosis and intervention (Bruinsma, Koegel, & ment. The development of joint attention has been

Koegel, 2004). The term joint attention can be difficult linked to language development, adaptive social-emo-

to define because it encompasses a variety of phenom-

tional behavioral development (Sheinkopf, Mundy,

ena (i.e., gaze following, social referencing, pro-

Claussen, & Willoughby, 2004), and frontal lobe func-

toimperative gestures, protodeclarative gestures, and tion (Mundy & Crawson, 1997). Joint attention may be

monitoring) and is closely related to many others. In central to understanding language outcomes later in

addition to the many operational definitions used in the childhood. Morales et al. (2000) found that response to

literature, there is usually a more implicit meaning joint attention was directly related to vocabulary devel-

associated with the term. Descriptions of joint attention opment in learners between -6 and 24 months.

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