Promoting independent ambulation: A case study of an elementary school student with developmental disabilities.

The limited independent ambulation of individuals with developmental disabilities may be improved with the utilization of support walker devices. In the present study, a forward chaining procedure with an embedded changing criterion component was used to teach an elementary school student with multiple disabilities to acquire and maintain the skills needed to use his walker device successfully, and to increase his total distance walked while using his walker device. Results indicated that the student quickly acquired three of the four requisite steps necessary to use the walker device, but eventually acquired all four steps after procedural modifications. After mastering the four steps, the student gradually increased his total distance walked. Results were maintained when assessed two months post-intervention. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Brief Report: Use of Superheroes Social Skills to Promote Accurate Social Skill Use in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The current study evaluated the use of Superheroes Social Skills to promote accurate use of discrete social skills in training and generalization conditions in two children with autism spectrum disorder. Participants attended a twice weekly social skills training group over 5 weeks, with lessons targeting nonverbal, requesting, responding, and conversation skills. A multiple probe across social skills design, replicated across participants, was utilized to assess the effects of participation of the intervention on skill accuracy. Following introduction of the intervention, participants demonstrated abrupt improvements in skill accuracy in both training and generalization conditions. Additionally, parental reports of participant social functioning indicated improvements following participation in the intervention. Limitations and future directions are discussed.