Using lag schedules to strengthen the intraverbal repertoires of children with autism.

The team worked with three children with autism. They wanted more varied answers to questions like "Name a pet."

They used a lag schedule. The child had to give a different answer each time to earn a token.

Sessions ran a few times a week. If lag alone failed, they added quick variability training.

Two kids soon gave many new answers. The third child stayed stuck until the extra training was added.

Some answers were brand-new and had never been taught before.

Olin et al. (2020) ran almost the same setup and saw the same gain. Their kids kept the skill four weeks later.

Cohrs et al. (2017) added multiple-exemplar training first, then lag. They got flexible social answers in group play. The 2016 study shows you can skip that step for simple intraverbals.

Gardner et al. (2009) used lag-1 to boost early sounds in non-verbal toddlers. The 2016 paper moves the same idea up to full words and answers.

Jones et al. (2010) used lag-3 to vary block play. Both studies prove the rule works across very different skills.

You can widen a child’s intraverbal pool in one or two sessions. Start with lag-1 during easy questions. If answers stay stuck, add a quick variability drill. No extra toys or scripts are needed.