Teaching choice‐making within activity schedules to children with autism
Kids with autism differ on whether they prefer choice or no-choice activity schedules—assess each child individually before embedding choice.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Deel and team taught kids with autism to follow two kinds of picture schedules. One schedule let the child pick the next activity. The other schedule told the child what to do next with no choice.
The kids learned both types. Then the researchers watched which schedule each child liked better.
What they found
Some kids wanted the choice schedule every time. Other kids wanted the no-choice schedule. A few kids kept switching.
The study shows there is no single "best" schedule. Each child had a different favorite.
How this fits with other research
Geckeler et al. (2000) saw that reinforcer choice boosted responding only when kids could pick between two tasks at once. Deel extends that idea into full daily schedules, not just single reinforcers.
Spriggs et al. (2015) also used picture schedules for students with autism, but they added video clips instead of choice. Their students learned independence too, showing schedules work with or without extras.
Wang et al. (2021) found that children with autism differ in what visuals they like to watch. Deel finds the same kind of individual differences, but for schedule type instead of videos.
Why it matters
Before you add choice to every schedule, run a quick test. Present both a choice and a no-choice schedule for a few days. Track which one the child approaches faster, stays with longer, or asks for again. Use that format for the child’s day. One simple assessment can save you from battles over "mandatory choice" that some kids actually hate.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractThough the value of choice‐making opportunities in behavioral interventions is well established, specific demonstrations of its applications are limited. In this study, we first taught participants to independently complete two types of activity schedules: a choice activity schedule (i.e., one that allowed the participants to choose the sequence of activities) and a no choice activity schedule (i.e., one in which the sequence was predetermined by the researcher). Then, we evaluated participant preference between the before‐mentioned schedules, and a control activity schedule (i.e., baseline contingencies). Obtained preference was idiosyncratic across participants, highlighting the importance of individualized preference assessments in the context of play. Implications and future directions are discussed, including a refined framework for incorporating choice into independent activity schedule completion.
Behavioral Interventions, 2021 · doi:10.1002/bin.1816