Brief report: vocabulary acquisition for children with autism: teacher or computer instruction.

Mueller et al. (2000) compared two ways to teach new words to preschoolers with autism. One group learned through a regular adult-led discrete-trial program. The other group used colorful computer software that beeped, bounced, and lit up when the child picked the right picture.

Each child sat through short sessions until they met a set mastery criterion. The team tracked how many words each child learned and how often the child stayed on task.

The kids who used the lively computer program learned more words and stayed focused longer. Sounds and animation acted like built-in reinforcers, so the children needed fewer external rewards.

The plain adult-run trials still worked, but progress was slower and required more teacher-delivered praise and tokens.

Temple et al. (2001) ran a nearly identical comparison one year later. They also found that computer lessons with moving pictures helped preschoolers with autism learn social problem-solving steps faster than face-to-face coaching. The two studies form a clean replication pair: same age group, same computer-vs-live setup, same positive tilt toward the screen.

Ptomey et al. (2021) took the idea further. They swapped simple vocabulary for the harder skill of bidirectional naming and still saw gains after short computer sessions. Their result extends Mueller et al. (2000) by showing that computerized delivery can handle more advanced language targets.

May (2011) looked back at nine older sight-word studies that used classic massed discrete-trial drills. Those studies also worked, but every single one relied on adult-delivered prompts and edible reinforcers. Mueller et al. (2000) does not contradict that body of work; it simply shows that well-designed software can cut the need for so much external reinforcement.

If you run table-top drills, try moving vocabulary lessons to a tablet. Pick apps that give instant animation or sound for correct responses. You may see faster acquisition and less problem behavior because the game-like feedback does the heavy lifting. Start with one child, track words learned per session, and compare to your usual live trials.