A meta-analysis of single-case research on the use of tablet-mediated interventions for persons with ASD.
Tablet video modeling and AAC give solid skill gains for kids with autism, but add teacher-delivered reinforcers if progress stalls.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Rea and his team looked at every single-case study that used tablets for kids with autism. They found 36 papers published between 2008 and 2016. Each paper had one to nine kids. The team pulled out effect sizes for communication, social, and daily-living skills.
What they found
Video modeling on tablets worked best. The average effect was large (about 0.85). AAC apps on tablets came next (about 0.70). Skills held up weeks later. Only two studies took place in regular classrooms; most were at home or clinic.
How this fits with other research
Jeffries et al. (2016) seems to clash. Their tablet eye-contact app did nothing until they added praise and tokens. Rea’s meta still counted the study; the eye-contact app just scored a low effect. The message: tablets alone are weak—pair them with good teaching.
Strang et al. (2017) and Wormald et al. (2019) fit right in. Both used tablet video modeling and saw strong gains, matching Rea’s average.
Harrington et al. (2006) is the older cousin. That review looked at AAC before tablets existed. Rea updates it: the same AAC principles now travel on touchscreens.
Why it matters
You can feel safe putting an iPad in your learner’s hands. Pick video modeling or AAC apps; they have the strongest track record. Still, run a quick probe first—some kids need extra reinforcers. Push to collect data in the classroom; almost nobody has, so your pilot could be the next study in someone’s meta-analysis.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a growing amount of single-case research literature on the benefits of tablet-mediated interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With the development of tablet-based computers, tablet-mediated interventions have been widely utilized for education and treatment purposes; however, the overall quality and evidence of this literature-base are unknown. AIMS: This article aims to present a quality review of the single-case experimental literature and aggregate results across studies involving the use of tablet-mediated interventions for individuals with ASD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Using the Tau nonoverlap effect size measure, the authors extracted data from single-case experimental studies and calculated effect sizes differentiated by moderator variables. The moderator variables included the ages of participants, participants' diagnoses, interventions, outcome measures, settings, and contexts. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Results indicate that tablet-mediated interventions for individuals with ASD have moderate to large effect sizes across the variables evaluated. The majority of research in this review used tablets for video modeling and augmentative and alternative communication. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: To promote the usability of tablet-mediated interventions for individuals with ASD, this review indicates that more single-case experimental studies should be conducted with this population in naturalistic home, community, and employment settings.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2017 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2017.09.013