RECALL prompting hierarchy improves responsiveness for autistic children and children with language delay: a single-case design study.

Bosley et al. (2024) tested a new way to prompt kids during story time. They worked with six preschoolers who had autism or language delays. Most kids spoke fewer than 20 words.

The team used RECALL dialogic reading. They added a least-to-most prompting hierarchy and small picture cards. Adults asked questions, then gave help step by step until the child answered.

The study ran a multiple baseline across kids. Sessions happened at home or in preschool rooms.

All six kids gave more correct answers during reading. Responses jumped from about a large share to a large share by the end.

Kids also started talking more to the adult. Gains stayed high when the cards were removed. Broader social starts, like waving or saying hello, did not change much.

The results line up with Griffith et al. (2012). That team used an interrupted chain to teach mands. Both studies show that careful prompting plus fading builds new words in minimally verbal kids.

Cariveau et al. (2023) compared simultaneous prompting to a delay cue for a preschooler with Down syndrome. They found faster learning with the prompt delivered right away. Bosley’s team chose least-to-most instead, but both papers agree: clear prompt hierarchies speed skill gain.

Bishop et al. (2020) paired echoic prompts with a speech-generating device. They also saw more vocal output. The new study swaps the device for picture cards during shared reading, giving teachers a low-tech option.

If you run story groups, try adding small picture cue cards and a least-to-most prompt ladder. Ask a question, wait, then point to the card, then give a one-word model. In Bosley’s study this simple shift turned quiet preschoolers into active book talkers within weeks.