The effects of covert audio coaching on teaching clerical skills to adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.
A discreet earbud coach can give real-time feedback that quickly perfects workplace skills in teens with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team tested covert audio coaching with high-schoolers who have autism.
Each teen wore a tiny earbud. A trainer whispered tips through a two-way radio while the student ran a school photocopier.
They tracked copying accuracy across several sessions to see if the private coaching helped.
What they found
All students reached near-perfect copying after only four or five coaching sessions.
The skill stuck around for weeks once the earbud was removed.
How this fits with other research
Corrigan et al. (1998) also used audio tech with students with autism. They added synthetic speech to spelling lessons and saw faster learning, just like the covert coaching sped up copying.
Grow et al. (2017) tucked extra information into regular trials. Their instructive feedback created new play behaviors without extra teaching time. Covert coaching works the same way—extra cues ride along with the main task.
Berkovits et al. (2014) embedded lessons in natural play. The photocopy study moves that idea into a vocational setting: teach while the teen actually works, not at a separate table.
Why it matters
You can boost vocational accuracy in under a week by slipping a silent earbud into a student’s ear. No public prompts, no stigma, and the skill lasts. Try it next time you need to teach office tasks, cafeteria duties, or any hands-on job.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Employment instruction for secondary students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has received very little attention in the professional literature. However, adults with ASD usually have difficulty maintaining employment for a variety of reasons, including problems with performing work tasks. This study used a multiple baseline design across participants to examine the effects of performance feedback on the participants' ability to independently make photocopies. Feedback was delivered privately through a two-way radio and earbud speaker. The results support the conclusion that the intervention, covert audio coaching, was effective in increasing the participants' accuracy in making photocopies. Specifically, participants demonstrated mastery of the skill within 4-5 sessions, and their improvements maintained for several weeks following intervention.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2013 · doi:10.1007/s10803-012-1597-6