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Teaching Conversational Skills to Children with Autism

John L. Brown, Ph.D., BCBAJennifer RyanEric RozenblatREED Academy

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Script Fading

Script fading is an empirically validated procedure used to teach individuals to verbally engage in social interactions.

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Script Fading Script fading teaches learners to

use written or audio scripts. Scripts provide models of language

that are appropriate to specific social situations.

As learners learn to use the scripts they are faded from end to beginning.

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Example A script such as “Let’s go to the park.”

could be faded in the following steps

1. Let’s go to the park.2. Let’s go to the3. Let’s go to4. Let’s go5. Let’s6. 7. Removal of script card.

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Three-Term Contingency

Antecedent Stimulus

Script

Behavior (Response)

VerbalInteraction

Consequence Motivational System

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Fading Fading is a technique that is used to

shift control of a response from one antecedent stimulus to another. (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 1987, p. 314)

In the case of script fading, control of a verbal response is being shifted from the control of the script to some other environmental stimulus.

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Why Use Script Fading? To teach “spontaneous” social

interaction.

To reduce the use of instructor prompts in teaching social interaction.

Why reduce instructor prompts?

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Types of Scripts

Written Scripts

Language Master Cards

“Mini Me” Recordings

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Placement of Scripts When deciding where to place

scripts consider how the learner will use the script.

For example: A script about a preferred toy could

be placed on a picture of that toy. A script about soda may be placed on

the refrigerator door.

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Using Script-Fading Procedures

1. Development of Scripts

2. Pre-training Scripts

3. Teaching Script Use

4. Fading Scripts

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Development of Scripts Use verbal responses that are of

appropriate complexity for the learner. Use age-appropriate content. Determine the type of script, Determine the location for the script. Determine the SD for using the script.

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Development of Scripts If scripts are taught in sets, attend

to the initial word of each script. Include an opening and closing in

each script. When using an augmentive

communication system start scripts with a statement that indicates the use of the machine.

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Pre-training Pre-train the use of the script until

the learner demonstrates fluency in using the script.

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Teaching Use graduated guidance delivered

from behind the learner to prompt use of scripts.

Replay the script if the learner does not imitate the script.

Reinforce correct use of scripts. Attend to other aspects of social

interaction (eye contact, loudness, etc.)

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Fading Scripts Fade from the end to the beginning.

Fade quickly.

Be prepared to back-up if the learner does not imitate the full script.

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How to Back-up the Fading Level Written Script

Have a second card with the full script ready.

Language Master Script Record the full script on the ‘Teacher’ track.

Mini-Me Use a second Mini-Me for the full script.

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Programming for Generalization Choose verbal responses that are

functional in a variety of situations. Teach multiple scripts for each SD.

Train Loosely: Accept appropriate statements that do not exactly match the script.

Shift reinforcement to ‘natural’ contingencies.

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Examples of Script Fading Greetings Peer Conversation Shopping Ordering in a Restaurant Discussing Current Events Recruiting Attention

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Conversation Partner Purpose

To promote the continuation of a learner- initiated conversation that is socially meaningful

To serve as a language model

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Conversation Partner Effectively teaching conversational

skills while being a partner modeling

attending skills personal space prosody

giving your partner time to respond using continuation statements to prevent premature

ending conversation content must be relevant and language

used needs to be appropriate to language level use textual and audio prompts, and graduated guidance

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Conversation Partner What to Avoid:

descriptive praise using conversation enders

questions partial echo's/rephrasing

no verbal prompts

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Potential Conversation Partners Trained adult conversation partner Untrained adult conversation partner Disabled peers Non-disabled peers Siblings Family Members Strangers

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Data Collection Scripted Interactions

Record the number of words or scripts used correctly.

Measure the use of the scripts. Unscripted Interactions

Record the number of statements made that do not match the script.

Measure the use of other, non-scripted, language.

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Motivational Systems

Consider the use of specialized motivational systems that are used exclusively for social interaction.

Consider reserving specific reinforcers for use exclusively for social interaction programs.

Consider using scripts that include language about preferred activities that function as reinforcers

Although not specifically programmed, ending a conversation often functions as a negative reinforcer for children with autism

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Empirical Evidence Script fading for readers

Krantz and McClannahan (1993) used script fading to teach non readers with autism to initiate, respond to initiations, and make unscripted statements during conversations with peers ages 9-12

Sarokoff, Taylor, & Poulson (2001) used scripts embedded in product packaging to teach conversation among learner’s with autism ages 8-9

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Empirical Evidence Script fading for beginning readers

Children ages 4-5 were taught to read “Look” and “Watch me”

Activity schedules were used to present these words along with photographs of activities to children with autism

Scripted statements, unscripted statements, and elaborations increased

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Empirical Evidence Script fading for non readers

Using audio-taped scripts embedded in activity schedules demonstrated to be effective for learners with autism ages 10-15

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Script Fading Exercise Roll playing using continuation

statements non-vocal conversation 1-word conversations 3-word conversations 5-word conversations unlimited conversations with 10

exchanges writing scripts

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ReferencesCooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (1987).

Applied Behavior Analysis. Columbus, OH: Merrill Publishing Company.

Krantz, P.J., & McClannahan, L.E. (1998). Social interaction skills for children with autism: A script-fading procedure for beginning readers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31, 191-202.

Krantz, P. J. & McClannahan, L. E. (1993). Teaching children with autism to initiate to peers: Effects of a script-fading procedure. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 121-132.

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ReferencesJohnson, K. R. & Layng, T. V. J. (1992). Breaking the

structuralist barrier: Literacy and numeracy with fluency. American Psychologist, 47, 1475-1490.

Stevenson, C.L., Krantz, P.J., & McClannahan, L.E. (2000). Social interaction skills for children with autism: A script-fading procedure for nonreaders. Behavioral Interventions, 15, 1-20.

Sarokoff, R.A., Taylor, B.A., & Poulson, C.L. (2001). Teaching children with autism to engage in conversational exchanges: Script-fading with embedded textual stimuli. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 81-84.