Generalization of tacting actions in children with autism.
Say the label once before the child answers and you can double the labels they say later.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Teachers added quick tact models while they taught children with autism.
They compared two ways: model the tact or skip the model.
The team tracked how many new tacts each child said on their own later.
What they found
Kids gave 1.6 to 2.7 times more spontaneous tacts after hearing a model.
The boost showed up in four different places, so the skill traveled.
How this fits with other research
Ishizuka et al. (2016) got the same lift, but with vocal imitation instead of tact models.
Ingersoll et al. (2007) moved the job to parents and toddlers using Reciprocal Imitation Training.
Escalona et al. (2002) first showed that any adult imitation nudges kids closer; Gladys simply aimed the same nudge at words.
Why it matters
You already give instructions. Just add a short tact model before the child responds.
No extra time, no fancy tools, and you can double the child’s own labeling later.
Try it in circle time, snack, or the playground and watch the words spread.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The effects of observing an adult emitting tacts on children's rate of uninstructed (i.e., "spontaneous") tacts were examined in three children diagnosed with autism. Each participant was exposed to two conditions in four settings each: in condition 1, participants received 20 trials of teacher-initiated interactions in which the child was asked to tact 20 objects during 5 min. Condition 2 was identical to condition 1 except that the teacher also tacted 20 objects interspersed with the 20 tact trials. The number of uninstructed tacts was recorded in both conditions. Children emitted between 1.58 and 2.68 times more uninstructed tacts in condition 2 than in condition 1. These results indicate that teachers' emission of tacts increases the emission of uninstructed tacts in children with autism.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2006 · doi:10.1901/jaba.2006.175-04