Further examination of the effects of order of stimulus presentation on receptive discrimination
Say the word first, then show the pictures—most kids with autism or speech delays master receptive IDs faster.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Leon et al. (2021) asked a simple question. Does it matter when you show the pictures in a receptive-ID trial?
Six kids with autism or speech delays took part. Each trial gave an auditory sample like "apple" and then showed two pictures.
Using an alternating-treatments design, the team flipped the order. In one condition the sound came first, then the pictures. In the other the pictures popped up first, then the sound.
What they found
Five of the six children learned the new words faster when the sound came first.
The sixth child showed no clear difference between the two orders.
How this fits with other research
Goodwin et al. (2012) also tinkered with auditory-visual trials. They added picture prompts and saw faster learning, just like Leon's sample-first order did.
Zhou et al. (2025) took it further. They had kids repeat the auditory sample before picking the picture. That self-echoic step sped mastery even more. It builds on Leon's idea: give the ear a head start.
Eldevik et al. (2020) used the same alternating-treatments setup but swapped in functional reinforcers. Some kids flew, others flat-lined. Leon shows order can be another lever when reinforcement alone is not enough.
Why it matters
Next time you run receptive-ID trials, present the auditory sample first, then the pictures. No extra prep, no new materials—just a quick timing tweak that helped most kids in the study learn faster. If a learner stalls, pair this order with a brief echoic prompt or picture prompt for an extra boost.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractRecent research has demonstrated that the order of stimulus presentation during auditory‐visual discrimination training may influence the rate of skill acquisition. Results of some studies have suggested that presenting the sample auditory stimulus prior to the comparison visual stimuli may enhance learning for typically developing children. However, replication efforts in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in structured discrete‐trial formats have produced mixed results. The purpose of the current study was to further evaluate the role of stimulus order during auditory‐visual discrimination training to learners with ASD or speech delays during discrete trial instruction. Five of the six children who participated in the study acquired the skills faster during the sample‐first stimulus condition.
Behavioral Interventions, 2021 · doi:10.1002/bin.1773