Sample First versus Comparison First Stimulus Presentations: Preliminary Findings for Two Individuals with Autism

Two children with autism learned to match spoken words to pictures. The teacher tried two ways to show the cards. One way showed the sample picture first, then the choices. The other way showed the choices first, then the sample.

The team switched the order every few trials. They counted how many trials each child needed to master the task.

Both kids learned faster when the comparison cards appeared before the sample. This reversed an earlier study that favored sample-first order.

The difference was large enough to matter in daily teaching.

Petursdottir et al. (2016) found the opposite: kids learned faster with sample-first order. The key difference is population. Ingeborg tested neurotypical children; Vedora tested kids with autism.

Cubicciotti et al. (2019) used the same design with three autistic learners. They saw mixed results: each child learned fastest under a different order. Vedora’s clear comparison-first win may reflect individual learner traits or fewer choices tested.

Together, the three papers tell us to test both orders with each new learner instead of picking one rule for everyone.

If a child stalls during auditory-visual drills, flip the order. Show the choices first for a few sessions and track the data. You might cut acquisition time in half with this simple tweak.