Abstract
Research on the effects of Direct Instruction (DI) among students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has only recently emerged. A benefit of DI is that it can be implemented with groups of students, which makes it potentially a cost effective method of instruction for some skills. In this study, we examined the effects of DI on teaching secondary students with ASD to answer three “wh-” questions. Using a multiple probe design across behaviors, results indicated the participants mastered two of the three “wh-” question types and made progress with the remaining question type. These results are discussed along with implications for educators instructing students with ASD.
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Acknowledgments
The investigator would like to thank Christine Honsberger and Kathy Randolph for serving as research assistants on this project. In addition, the investigator would like to thank the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) for providing funding to conduct this study.
Author Contributions
JC conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, participated in the interpretation of the data, and drafted the manuscript; CW participated in the design and coordination of the study and interpretation of the data; MB participated in the design and coordination of the study, participated in the interpretation of data, and helped to draft the manuscript; CD participated in the design of the study and participated in the interpretation of the data; KB participated in design of the study, participated in the interpretation of the data, and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read, assisted in revising, and approved the final manuscript.
Funding
This study was funded by the National Institute for Direct Instruction (no Grant Number).
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The first author, Dr. Jessica Cadette, has received a research grant from The National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI).
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Cadette, J.N., Wilson, C.L., Brady, M.P. et al. The Effectiveness of Direct Instruction in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Answer “Wh-” Questions. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 2968–2978 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2825-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2825-2