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Date of Graduation
Spring 2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Education (MEd)
Department
Department of Educational Foundations and Exceptionalities
Advisor(s)
Sara Snyder
Keri Bethune
Tiara Brown
Geralyn Timler
Abstract
Both Early Intervention (EI) and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) have been proven to be effective with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A relationship between functional communication and behavior has also been noted and described. As individuals learn functional communication, challenging behavior decreases. Early intervention commonly uses PECS to teach children, specifically children with ASD, to communicate. Early intervention can come in different forms, ranging from very intensive daily services to weekly or biweekly visits from service providers. While the literature recommends early intervention, much of it is referencing intensive schedules that are not financially realistic or time sensitive to many families. Therefore, this paper aimed to research how to effectively teach the PECS procedure to caregivers of young children diagnosed with autism. Caregiver training was conducted within a local research center and reflected a typical early intervention schedule of services. Caregivers were taught using constant time delay (CTD) which is a common form of teaching within the world of applied behavioral analysis (ABA). Caregivers were also given a self-monitoring sheet to serve as a visual prompt to practice at home. The research aims to provide specific directions and guides for EI providers so that they can efficiently and effectively help coach families in the acquisition of the PECS procedure so that their child may develop functional communication without the necessity of an intensive schedule.
Recommended Citation
Balfour, Anna, "Using constant time delay to coach caregivers to teach their young children with Autism the picture exchange communication system within the early intervention setting" (2019). Masters Theses, 2010-2019. 611.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/master201019/611
