Although legislation mandates that students with autism receive instruction linked to the general education core content, there is limited research supporting the effectiveness of interventions for teaching core content to these students. In this study, the author reviewed research conducted between the years 1997 and 2008 using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) to teach academic skills to students with autism. The author concluded that CAI was effective for teaching a limited set of academic skills to individuals with autism; however, functional relations were found in few of the single-case designs and none of the group designs included a control group. Future researchers should explore the use of CAI in various instructional arrangements, identify critical technology components, and evaluate commercially available software.
References marked with an asterisk indicate studies included in the review. The in-text citations to studies selected for review are not preceded by asterisks.
2.
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3.
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4.
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5.
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6.
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9.
*Clark, K., & Green, G. ( 2004). Comparison of two procedures for teaching dictated-word/symbol relations to learners with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 503-507.
10.
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11.
*Coleman-Martin, M.B., Heller, K.W., Cihak, D.F., & Irvine, K.L. ( 2005). Using computer-assisted instruction and the nonverbal reading approach to teach word identification. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 20, 80-90.
12.
*Delano, M. ( 2007). Improving written language performance of adolescents with Asperger syndrome. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis , 40, 345-351.
13.
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14.
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15.
*Hetzroni, O., Rubin, C., & Konkol, O. ( 2002). The use of assistive technology for symbol identification by children with Rett syndrome. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 27, 57-71.
16.
*Hetzroni, O.E., & Shalem, U. ( 2005). From logos to orthographic symbols: A multilevel fading computer program for teaching nonverbal children with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 20, 201-212.
17.
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18.
Hodgdon, L.A. ( 1995). Visual strategies for improving communication: Practical supports for school and home. Troy, MI: Quirk Roberts.
19.
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20.
Janzen, J. ( 1996). Understanding the nature of autism, San Antonio, TX: Therapy Skill Builders.
21.
*Kelly, S., Green, G., & Sidman, M. ( 1998). Visual identity matching and auditory-visual matching: A procedural note. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31, 237-243.
22.
*Kinney, E.M., Vedora, J., & Stromer, R. ( 2003). Computer-presented video models to teach generative spelling to a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 5, 22-29.
23.
Koegel, R.L., & Koegel, L. ( 1995). Teaching children with autism. Baltimore , MD: Brookes.
24.
McIntyre, L.L., Gresham, F.M., DiGennaro, F.D., & Reed, D.D. ( 2007). Treatment integrity of school-based interventions with children in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 1991- 2004. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 659-672.
25.
*Mechling, L.C., Gast, D.L., & Langone, I. ( 2002). Computer-based video instruction to teach persons with moderate intellectual disabilities to read grocery aisle signs and locate items. Journal of Special Education, 35, 224-240.
26.
Mirenda, P. ( 2001). Autism, augmentative communication, and assistive technology: What do we really know?Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16, 141-151.
27.
Moore, D., McGrath, P., & Thorpe, J. ( 2000). Computer-aided learning for people with autism: A framework for research and development. Innovations in Education and Training International, 37, 218-228.
28.
*Moore, M., & Calvert, S. ( 2000). Vocabulary acquisition for children with autism: Teacher or computer instruction. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30, 359-362.
29.
Morse, T.E., & Schuster, J.W. (2004). Simultaneous prompting: A review of literature. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 39, 153-168.
30.
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31.
Plienis, A.J., & Romanczyk, R.G. (1985). Analyses of performance, behavior, and predictors for severely disturbed children: A comparison of adult vs. computer instruction. Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 5, 345-356.
32.
Quill, K.A. ( 2000). Do-watch-listen-say: Social and communication intervention for children with autism. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.
33.
Riesen, T., McDonnell, J., Johnson, J.W., Polychronis, S., & Jameson, M. ( 2003). A comparison of time delay and simultaneous prompting within embedded instruction in general education classes with students with moderate to severe disabilities. Journal of Behavioral Education , 12, 241-259.
34.
Schlosser, R.W., & Blischak, D.M. (2001). Is there a role for speech output in interventions for persons with autism? Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16, 170-178.
35.
*Schlosser, R.W., & Blischak, D.M. (2004). Effects of speech and print feedback on spelling by children with autism. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47, 848-862.
36.
*Schlosser, R.W., Blischak, D.M., Belfiore, P.J., Bartley, C., & Barnett, N. ( 1998). Effects of synthetic speech output and orthographic feedback on spelling in a student with autism: A preliminary study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28, 309-319.
37.
Self, T., Scudder, R.R., Weheba, G., & Crumrine, D. ( 2007). A virtual approach to teaching safety skills to children with autism spectrum disorders. Topics in Language Disorders , 27, 242-253.
38.
Stromer, R., Mackay, H.A., Howell, S.R., & McVay, A.A. (1996). Teaching computer-based spelling to individuals with developmental and hearing disabilities: Transfer of stimulus control to writing tasks. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 29, 25-42.
39.
*Sugasawara, H., & Yamamoto, J. ( 2007). Computer-based teaching of word construction and reading in two students with developmental disabilities. Behavioral Interventions, 22, 263-277.
40.
*Yamamoto, J., & Miya, T. ( 1999). Acquisition and transfer of sentence construction in autistic students: Analysis by computer-based teaching. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 20, 355-377.
