Asperger syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder whose core clinical symptoms include impairment in social interaction, impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. AS is often accompanied by coexisting neuropsychiatric disorders, including…

It has been suggested that individuals with autism are more vulnerable to, and less able to cope with, the effects of stressors than the general population. However, very little work has been done to develop tools such as surveys or questionnaires that assess reactions to stressors in individuals with developmental disabilities. In the present…

The purpose of this study was to train teachers to follow a task analysis to teach a story-based literacy lesson using adapted, grade-appropriate middle school literature to students with moderate and severe developmental disabilities. A multiple-probe-across-participants design was used to examine the effects of training teachers to follow a…

In this investigation, the acquisition of both functional and core content sight words was compared as replicated across three formats: direct massed trial instruction in a special education resource room, direct distributed trial instruction in a general education classroom, and embedded distributed trial instruction in a general education…

This study investigated the effects of a Direct Instruction (DI) reading comprehension program implemented with students who had developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and reading delays. There is little research in the area of reading comprehension for students with ASD and no research as to the effectiveness of…

The authors reviewed studies on teaching reading comprehension to students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with a focus on text (academic reading) comprehension and sight word (functional) comprehension. Eleven of 754 studies met the inclusion criteria: participants with ASD, published in English in a peer-reviewed journal, and use of an…

The current study investigated the effectiveness of an integrated word identification and communication intervention for children with complex communication needs. Using a nonconcurrent, multiple baseline design, the study involved three participants who completed 75 lessons across 4 to 6 weeks of instruction. All three participants improved their…

More empirical studies are needed that evaluate interventions to improve the academic functioning of students with Asperger syndrome (AS). The purpose of this exploratory study was to evaluate the use of Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) writing instruction (Graham, Harris, MacArthur, & Schwartz, 1991) with an adolescent with AS. A…

Definitions of literacy that focus solely on reading words provide too narrow a framework for many students with severe disabilities. Obtaining information from the environment may be accomplished in a variety of modes, such as visual literacy, which is the ability to discern meaning conveyed through images. A component of visual literacy is…

Parents of 26 children with diagnoses of Asperger's disorder completed a symptom checklist to determine whether the children met "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition, Text Revision" ("DSM-IV-TR"; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for Asperger's disorder, autism, or pervasive developmental disorder…

Task completion time was substantially decreased for two middle school students with a diagnosis of moderate mental retardation and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) following the presentation of high-preference items and choice via a computer-based video program. The study used an ABAB design to evaluate the effects of the program compared to…

A review of selected literature suggests that integrating multimedia computer supports with activity schedules can be an effective way to teach students to manage their work, play, and skill-building activities independently. Activity schedules originally were a means of promoting independent execution of previously learned responses by using…

This study examined anxiety symptoms in 29 adolescents with Asperger syndrome (AS) aged 12 to 16 years, compared to 30 nonclinical (NC) adolescents and 34 adolescents with anxiety disorders (AD). Comorbidity between anxiety symptoms and negative thoughts, behavioral problems, and life interference was also examined. Self- and parental reports…

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a Social Story [TM] intervention in teaching a young child with hyperlexia to appropriately obtain the attention of his peers. The Social Story intervention consisted of verbal and visual cues incorporated into an age-appropriate storybook format. Attempting to obtain the attention of a…

The purpose of this study was to assess the degree to which behavioral intervention studies conducted with children diagnosed with autism operationally defined the independent variables (IVs) and evaluated treatment integrity (TI). The study replicated the criteria from Gresham, Gansle, and Noell (1993) and focused exclusively on research studies…