Case study: An iPad-based intervention on turn-taking behaviors in preschoolers with autism.

Abstract

The purpose of the current observational study was to explore whether a costand time-effective intervention using an iPad and an experimenter-created app, adapted from a commercial app called iTake Turns, can demonstrate an immediate improvement of turn-taking behaviors in preschoolers with autism. Two monozygotic twin boys, ages 4 years and 6 months, with a diagnosis of autism were recruited. A modified multiple baseline design between 2 participants was employed to suggest a functional relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The study took place over an 11-week time span. Two separate PowerPoint slide sets including the experimenter and individual participant’s photograph were used. An audio prompt such as “Liz’s turn,” “Sam’s turn,” and “Ian’s turn” was embedded into these pages. The slide sets were presented via iPad. The percentage of nonoverlapping data indicated that the intervention was fairly effective for 1 child but not reliable for the other child. It is suggested that iPads or tablet devices can be effective tools to support socialization, more particularly, turn-taking behaviors in children with autism. Limitations of the study design were discussed.