Teaching Relational Flexibility to Improve Core Cognitive Skills in Children

with Diagnosed Autism

Carol Murphy, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Department of PsychologyNational University of Ireland,

Maynooth

Relational Flexibility Flexibility is thought to be key in intelligent

cognitive behaviour

Children with autism tend toward ‘rigid’ responding and may not generalise learning in different contexts

ABA teaching programmes effective but could be enhanced by incorporating relational flexibility

T-IRAP Interactive computerised teaching

programmeRFT-based (see Prof. Dermot Barnes-Holmes NUI Departmental

webpages and www.cbsi.ie)

Interactive teaching tool for relational responding with children with autism

Greater speed and accuracy (Same/Different; More/Less; Opposition etc.)

Visit from Dr Paul Strand, Washington State University

New T-IRAP research commenced to specifically target relational flexibility and test for correlated increase in IQ scores (Lyons, Murphy, Barnes-Holmes & Barnes-Holmes, NUI Maynooth)

(see also NUI Departmental website Dr Bryan Roche’s teaching programme to raise IQ levels)