The Effectiveness of Cool Versus Not Cool Procedure in Teaching Chemical Safety Skills to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Three preschoolers with autism learned chemical safety rules. The team used Cool Versus Not Cool (CNC) training. CNC shows the right way (cool) and the wrong way (not cool) in short clips.

Each child got one-on-one lessons. They watched clips, practiced, and got praise or fixes. The study ran a multiple baseline across kids. Sessions happened twice a week until each child hit 100 % correct for two days in a row.

All three kids reached mastery in 8–11 sessions. They kept the skills four weeks later. They also used the rules with new adults and new bottles. Parents and teachers said the skills mattered and the clips were easy to use.

No child had ever said “wear gloves” or “ask an adult” before the study. After CNC, they said both without prompts.

Grindle et al. (2012) also taught science topics to kids with autism. They used explicit drills, not video models. Both studies hit mastery, showing science content is teachable to autistic learners.

Ozdemir (2008) cut disruptive behavior with social stories. Celik used CNC to stop unsafe chemical touches. Both used multiple baseline designs and both worked, adding choices for safety lessons.

Alsop et al. (1995) paired BST with parent notes to curb aggression in general-ed boys. Celik kept the BST core but swapped parents for video models and targeted autistic preschoolers. The package still cut risk, showing BST flexes across ages and diagnoses.

You can teach life-saving rules before kindergarten. CNC needs only a tablet, two toys, and household cleaners. Run one clip, have the child role-play, give a sticker, and repeat. In under a dozen short visits you get mastery, maintenance, and generalization. Try it for kitchen, garage, or playground safety next.