Brief Report: An Evaluation of an Instructional Package for Teaching Sentence Construction to Students with ASD.
Sentence writing can be taught to autistic elementary students using an instructional package, with mixed maintenance and limited generalization to spoken language.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Four elementary students with autism learned to write sentences.
The team used a package of modeling, prompting, and praise.
They tracked progress across three sentence patterns with a multiple-baseline design.
What they found
All four kids wrote the new sentence types by the end.
Three kept the skill weeks later; one did not.
Only one child also spoke more sentences, showing limited carry-over.
How this fits with other research
Aravamudhan et al. (2020) got speech sounds to stick in older students, hinting that older age may aid maintenance.
Smith et al. (1975) taught preschoolers compound sentences through play, showing earlier syntax gains without drills.
Together the three studies form a timeline: incidental teaching works at three, direct packages help at six, and speech work still pays off at twelve.
Why it matters
You can teach sentence writing in a short package, but plan extra practice for long-term use.
Check both writing and speaking; gains in one may not lift the other.
If a child stalls, probe speech skills—Aravamudhan’s methods might shore up the foundation.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
In the current study, we investigated the effects of an instructional package on the construction of sentences writing by four children ages 6-9, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We employed a multiple probe across behaviors design to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention package and also conducted probes to assess generalization and increases in the use of spoken sentences. Data indicated that the package was effective and produced variable levels of maintenance and generalized responding across three of the participants. Further, changes in vocal responding were observed in one of the participants.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2018 · doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3309-8