Presenter(s): Paige Blacklock
Faculty Mentor(s): Lindsay Glugatch
Poster 115
Session: Social Sciences & Humanities
One common characteristic of autism is deficits in social/communicative abilities. Autism is more common in boys than in girls, so the research on how this disability affects girls is not as expansive. Furthermore, language development and social impairments might manifest differently in girls compared to boys. In this study we will be investigating the effectiveness of different behavioral interventions to increase the average length of number of words in two young girls with autism. Specifically, this study looks to see if there is a functional relation between communication interventions and increases in mean length of utterances. Three intervention conditions will be alternated throughout sessions including differential reinforcement, prompting, and a combination of the two. Identifying active intervention components on mean length of utterances in these two girls may provide a better look on social communication skills in girls with autism in comparison to boys. The differences found could be utilized to better individualize treatment throughout clinical settings in language intervention.