Using intraverbal prompts to increase divergent intraverbal responses by a child with autism

One six-year-old boy with autism answered category questions with only one word. The team taught him to give many answers to the same question.

They asked, “Tell me some animals.” Right after the question they quietly added three extra cues: “You ride it” (function), “It has fur” (feature), and “It’s a pet” (class). These are called intraverbal prompts.

The design was a multiple baseline across three question sets: animals, foods, and toys. Cues were added only after the child stayed silent for three seconds.

With the new prompts the boy listed 4-7 items per question instead of one. The gain showed up right after the first prompt set and stayed high.

Two weeks later he still gave 3-5 answers without any cues. Teachers also saw him use the same skill at recess when he named playground toys.

Bishop et al. (2020) and Muharib et al. (2021) got the same positive jump in spoken words, but they used echoic prompts through a talker instead of function-feature-class hints. The shared lesson: any well-timed verbal cue can unlock speech in kids with autism.

Aravamudhan et al. (2021) pushed the idea further by adding speed drills. They kept the prompt idea but aimed at clear speech sounds in teens, showing the tactic grows with the learner.

Bosley et al. (2024) slid a prompt hierarchy into story time and also saw more correct words. Together these studies say prompting works across places—table, playground, or reading corner.

If a child gives only one answer during intraverbal drills, drop in a quick function, feature, or class cue right after the question. You can start with one cue, then mix all three. Once the child lists several items, fade the cues by waiting longer before you help. The skill keeps without extra rewards and shows up in new settings, giving you an easy way to build flexible language during natural play or snack time.