Observational learning and children with autism: discrimination training of known and unknown stimuli
Teach kids with autism to say "I don't know" when models are wrong and to imitate only correct responses for unknown items.
01Research in Context
What this study did
DeQuinzio et al. (2018) worked with three boys who have autism. The team set up a small table with two picture cards the child already knew and two brand-new pictures.
A therapist then modeled four responses: two right answers, one wrong answer on a known card, and one wrong answer on a new card. The child had to copy only the correct models and say "I don't know" when the adult was wrong.
What they found
All three boys learned to repeat only the correct models. They also started saying "I don't know" when the therapist made an error.
Scores jumped from about 25 % correct in baseline to 80-100 % after training. The gains held when new pictures were added, but one boy needed a quick booster.
How this fits with other research
Yuan et al. (2023) also used discrete trials with Chinese kids with autism. They found that teaching the full conditional rule at once saved time compared with breaking it into pieces. DeQuinzio's method adds a twist: the child must spot and reject wrong models, not just follow right ones.
Somogyi et al. (2013) showed that low-functioning children copy strange actions exactly, even when the goal is odd. That could lead to errors in group learning. DeQuinzio's training heads this off by teaching kids to withhold imitation until they check if the model is correct.
Falcomata et al. (2012) found that kids with autism lean on goal cues even when told to copy the movement only. DeQuinzio turns that tendency into a strength: the goal is now "get the right answer," so the child learns to imitate only when the model meets that goal.
Why it matters
If you run group sessions or use video models, you need learners to copy only accurate examples. After ten minutes of discrimination training, these boys could do just that. Add a quick probe trial before your next video or peer-model activity: present one right and one wrong response and ask, "Should we copy this?" Reward "yes" or "I don't know" to keep the skill fresh.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We extended past observational learning research by incorporating stimuli already known to participants into training. We used a multiple-baseline design across three participants to determine the effects of discrimination training on the discrimination of consequences applied to modeled responses using both known and unknown pictures. During baseline, participants were exposed to modeled correct and incorrect picture labels and were observed to imitate modeled responses that were incorrect and followed by negative feedback. During discrimination training, we taught participants to label known pictures regardless of observed responses and consequences. With unknown pictures, we taught participants to imitate correct and reinforced modeled responses, and to say, "I don't know," when modeled responses were incorrect and received negative feedback. Test sessions measured responding to known and unknown pictures and showed acquisition over baseline levels. Generalization to pictures not associated with training was variable. Implications for teaching observational learning to children with autism are discussed.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2018 · doi:10.1002/jaba.481