Effects of an Activity Schedule Intervention Package on Cooperative Vocal Exchanges During Learning Centers

Mattson et al. (2024) placed picture-based activity schedules inside classroom learning centers. Each schedule showed two children with autism what to do and say turn-by-turn. The researchers tracked how often the kids traded spoken words while they worked.

They used a multiple-baseline design across student pairs. Schedules stayed in place until cooperation stayed high, then were thinned and removed.

Every pair of students talked more during centers once the schedules arrived. Some pairs kept chatting after the schedules came off. A few even started new, unscripted conversations that had never been taught.

Gains held best when teachers gave brief reminders, but some cooperation dropped when the cards went away completely.

Betz et al. (2008) did something similar with preschool game schedules and also saw big peer-engagement jumps. Their work is the direct forerunner; Mattson moves the same idea into elementary learning centers and targets vocal exchanges instead of play.

Ledbetter-Cho et al. (2023) swapped pictures for short teacher-made videos in math centers. Kids with autism learned faster and showed less stereotypy. The video twist extends the schedule method to academics while keeping the social boost.

Brodhead et al. (2018) embedded a schedule inside an iPad to break rigid app loops. Both studies use schedules to widen child behavior—app variety versus peer talk—showing the tool flexes across goals and formats.

You can tape a simple picture strip to the table during centers tomorrow. Two students follow the steps, trade items, and read or say the printed prompts. No extra staff is needed once they learn the routine. Start with three exchanges, add more photos as their talk grows, then fade the cards and watch for spontaneous chat. If cooperation dips, put the last card back for a quick booster.