Effects of a treatment package on the on task behavior of a kindergartener with autism across settings.

The inclusion of students with autism and other special needs into the general education setting has been an increasingly difficult task for schools both in and out of the United States. Although there is debate as to the appropriateness of this practice, the trend to include is increasing. Many students are observed to have behaviors that are “off task”, meaning that they interfere with their own learning and in some cases, the learning of others. Off task behaviors may include stereotypy and must be reduced or replaced so that students are successful in school. Our treatment package included textual prompts, learn units, and contingent corrections to increase on task behaviors during one to one and group instruction in a general education setting. Overall, we observed educationally significant gains in on task behavior subsequent to the introduction of the treatment package in a kindergartener with autism across three school settings. A multiple baseline across settings experimental design was used in the present study. The present study represents the first educational application of a single case experimental design in the region. Maintenance of the behavior change was assessed through a probe session two weeks after the treatment package was removed. Limitations of the study are discussed.