The Effects of a Technology-Based Self-monitoring Intervention on On-Task, Disruptive, and Task-Completion Behaviors for Adolescents with Autism.

Four middle-school students with autism used a phone app called I-Connect. They tapped a green check when they were on-task and a red X when off-task.

The study ran in their special-ed class during math and reading. Each student wore earbuds so only they heard the prompt every two minutes.

The researchers flipped the app on and off four times to be sure the gains were real.

All four teens stayed on-task more when the app was on. Two of them also had fewer outbursts.

Work got finished faster too. When the app was off, attention dropped right away.

Fiene et al. (2015) got the same jump in attention using a vibrating watch plus paper graphs in younger kids. Rosenbloom et al. (2019) shows the same trick works with a phone for teens.

Bassette et al. (2023) took the idea out of the classroom. They used a self-management package to teach teens with autism to plan their own workouts at a public gym. Skills stuck for most kids.

Hume et al. (2009) already said self-monitoring helps people with autism become more independent. The new data just prove a phone app is another way to do it.

Hong et al. (2017) pooled many tablet studies and found medium to large gains. Raia’s single-case result lines up with that bigger picture.

You can hand a teen a phone and see better focus in the same day. No extra staff, no tokens, no big cost. Try it during one tough period first. If it works, teach the student to set their own prompt times and fade your help.